


To Hell and Back

by maisiec33



Series: In love with the Devil [2]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt Lucifer, Hurt Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV), Lucifer Feels, Lucifer Morningstar (Lucifer TV) Needs A Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:42:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 25,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28320330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maisiec33/pseuds/maisiec33
Summary: A sequel to my first fic 'Poisoned'.Lucifer and Chloe are doing better than ever before- their relationship is finally blossoming, and he is finally letting down some of the walls he's kept up for so long. There's only one problem: Marcus Pierce, aka Cain aka the Sinnerman.Chloe knows about Lucifer's nature, so believes him now that Pierce IS the Sinnerman, but taking him down turns out to be harder than expected.
Relationships: Chloe Decker & Lucifer Morningstar, Chloe Decker/Lucifer Morningstar
Series: In love with the Devil [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074059
Comments: 111
Kudos: 207





	1. The obstacle

Lucifer Morningstar had never been better.

Despite his recent brush with death, him and Chloe had been closer than ever, and it felt as if he was living in a dream. Every touch by her was heaven-sent and waking up every morning with the knowledge that she loved him was a gift. 

He'd pull up outside her apartment each morning (unless he'd been staying there the previous night) to pick her up for work, and they'd spend the journey chatting and joking. 

Life was perfect. 

Except for one thing, one obstacle- Marcus Pierce. 

Explaining to the detective that her lieutenant was the world's first murderer caused some obvious shock, but it quickly dissipated. After all, she'd learned not too long ago that she was working with the devil, so surprising her with biblical characters come to life wasn't unbelievable. 

It was the dealing with him that put a spanner in the works, so to speak. Sure, Chloe and Ella knew, but Dan certainly didn't. Attempting to investigate and stop their boss was going to be hard enough without Espinoza sticking his nose in and wondering what the hell was going on. Plus, Cain hadn't been too active in the crime world for a few months, leaving the Sinnerman case to fizzle out like any other stagnant mystery. 

That didn't mean he wasn't planning anything- Lucifer was sure the immortal prick had some dastardly trick up his sleeve. He was clearly infatuated with Chloe, so perhaps that would cause tensions between Lucifer and him? 

As much as the worry nibbled at him, the civilian consultant decided that Chloe was the most important thing in his life, and Dad be damned if he didn't spend time appreciating her. 

Cain could wait- and wait he did, spending every waking hour secretly plotting against the Devil he worked with who was so far failing to end his immortality while simultaneously seducing the woman he wanted. 

Chloe Decker would be his, without a shadow of a doubt. It would just take some meddling, which happened to be something he excelled in. 

So, there he stood at home, hands clasped together, hoping with all his being that his prayers would be answered (literally). Cain knew the disdain Gabriel held for his brother, rooted in jealousy for not being the favourite child. In order to thwart Lucifer's advances on Chloe, he would need to enlist that particular angel's help.

Soon, Gabriel appeared before him, disgruntled. His thick blonde hair sat ruffled on his head, a mess of curls just like Lucifer's when untouched.  
'Whaddya want, Cain? Can't an angel sit in peace for a moment before he gets dragged down to Earth for some stupid mission?'

Cain's look was almost apologetic. He wasn't too big a fan of any angel, but he'd always felt sorry for Gabriel, the brother often used as a messenger boy for the almighty.  
'Sorry to interrupt whatever it is you do up there in the Silver City, but I need your help, Gabriel.'  
Upon seeing the angel's disinterested eyeroll, he added 'in dealing with Lucifer.'

At this, Gabriel perked up.  
'Always happy to lend assistance in regards to messing with that heathen's existence. How can I be of service?'

Cain didn't hesitate with his request.  
'I need you to kill him.'

This seemed to amuse the celestial, who immediately guffawed, soon doubled over with laughter and struggling for breath.  
'You- you want me kill-' His question was interrupted by another fit of giggles, followed by a finger to his eye to wipe away a tear induced by laughter.  
'You want me to kill an angel? Good one, Cain.'

He seemed to notice that Cain wasn't joking, and pulled himself up to look at him, perplexed.  
'You're serious? Come on, you know as well as me the frustrating reality of being a celestial. It would take a special blade that I don't possess to put an end to my arrogant brother, and as much as I would love to watch the life drain from his eyes, I'm not going after it. If that's all, then-'

With a swish, his ash-grey wings spread fully and he prepared to take flight.  
'Wait!' Cain yelled after him.

The angel paused and crossed his arms, annoyed.  
'What?'

'There's a human- a detective- that makes Lucifer vulnerable. Mortal. When she's around, all it would take is a run-of-the-mill kitchen knife to send him straight to Hell.'

Gabriel chuckled.  
'You expect me to believe that my brother, the steadfast and emotionally handicapped devil that he is, is affected by a mere human? Poppycock!'

'That's what I would've said at first, but it's true. Her name is Chloe Decker, and if you care to do a little espionage, you'll find out very quickly how attached he is to her. That's the key. I think her love makes him human. Literally.'

'I'll believe it when I see it' Gabriel decided. 'But I'll look into this Decker character if you think it worth my while. If not, I suppose it wouldn't be the first time I wasted my time on puny mortals.'

With a flap of his wings, he was gone, and Cain was left to himself and his rock collection- now with the knowledge that an angel of God was working against Lucifer. 

Soon, he thought, that insufferable club owner would be hurtling back to Hell.

And this time, for good.


	2. Eye spy

Gabriel listened to the radio that he'd tapped into, the line for the LAPD crackling through the speaker. A woman who had introduced herself to the other units as 'Detective Decker' was alerting the force that she, along with her partner, were on their way to a suspect's location. She gave the address, an abandoned warehouse, to which the unmistakeable tones of the angel's brother mused in the background, 'Perfect, could you choose a place any creepier?'

To Gabriel's disgust, the human on the other end laughed, before cutting the transmission. He pulled up the mentioned location on the phone Cain had mailed to the place he was staying at, and began his journey to the warehouse. The desperate immortal had also kindly offered his car to Gabriel for the excursion, so the angel didn't have to risk suspicion by flying there. 

There hadn't been enough time for thorough driving lessons, so he had to make do with basic knowledge. Luckily, he arrived in one piece a block away from the warehouse. Though he was foolish enough to allow himself in such close proximity to his brother, he wasn't about to raise questions through the strange presence of Cain's car to a case location he wasn't directly involved in. Especially since the involvement of the 'lieutenant' would've been impossible, considering his recent absence from work in his search for vengeance. 

Lucifer and Chloe emerged from the cruiser and approached the steel doors of the warehouse. Gun drawn, the detective banged on the metal.  
'If you're in there, Mr Woods, open up! LAPD!'  
She turned to Lucifer, who had previously been shadowing her protectively, and they discussed something discreetly. Gabriel cursed his Father for not giving him the gift of superhearing as a conversation continued, out of earshot. 

Finally, his brother stood back and outstretched an arm to shield the detective before forcefully kicking the doors, which broke open instantly following the barrage of celestial strength.

'Samael, you truly are an arrogant braggart' Gabriel hissed at the display from behind the safety of a nearby tree. Using God's gifts to enter a den of sin? The thought boiled his blood. Seeing the human and her devilish partner disappear into the darkness of the warehouse, Gabriel crept around until he had full view of the scene through a wide, glassless window. 

The place was seemingly deserted, but Chloe knew better than to assume so when dangerous criminals were involved.   
'Come out, Mr Woods, and we won't harm you. I can't guarantee the same treatment if you try to hide.' Her tone was calm, but she could feel her composure cracking with each step further into the unknown. 

Lucifer must have sensed this, because he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, melting away her concerns with an instant. How she could be calmed by a single touch was beyond her, but her partner seemed to possess that ability, as well as all the charm and wit. 

'Mr Woods!' he began, voice stark in the silence. 'Don't leave us hanging here, bad guy! We only want to have a quick chat, but as my attractive partner here has alluded to, we might not be so friendly if you carry on toying with us.'

Out of the darkness came a sinister voice.  
'I'm not coming with you pigs.'

Lucifer huffed. 'Well, could you hurry up with your little act then? We have places to be, Mr Dark-and-Mysterious-Disembodied-Voice!' 

A silhouette emerged from the blackness, the clear outline of a revolver jutting out with him.  
'You get any closer, you're gone. I'm armed.'

Gabriel watched in amazement as his brother offered first his arm (as before) then his entire body as a human shield for Detective Decker.   
'You will not, under any circumstances, fire that weapon.' he commanded, a familiar deep growl lacing his words. 

Instead of relenting, the silhouette drew the gun up to point at him in a jeering gesture.   
'And why should I listen to you, buddy? Two squeezes of the trigger and I'll drop you, then your sweetheart.'

Lucifer clenched his fists, rage coursing through his veins.  
The growl returned when he spoke, causing his words to rumble across the dark expanse of the warehouse.  
'You. Will not. Hurt her.' 

The human in front of him didn't listen, and pulled the trigger. Unfortunately for him, the revolver decided it was time to jam. 

Gabriel could make out a flash of red in his eyes, then his brother committed an unspeakable act. In front of a human, no, TWO humans, he unfurled his huge white wings. 

The gun the criminal had been holding dropped to the floor with a clutter, and the man who had been violently threatening them just a few seconds prior collapsed to his knees, whispered prayers on his lips. Lucifer walked slowly towards the cowering figure, seething, and pulled him up by his throat. The human clawed at his throat in a futile attempt to get the devil to release his grip, while said celestial leaned forward until they were centimetres apart.

'I look forward to the day when one of my demons tears you limb from limb in Hell.' 

Lucifer relinquished his hold on the man, who fell to the floor in a crumpled heap, gasping for air. Only seconds after he'd touched the floor, a hand gripped the back of his collar and wrenched him backwards. He flailed about helplessly as Lucifer dragged him to Chloe's feet, then pulled him up again so he could face her.

'He's all yours, Detective.'

*******************************************************  
Gabriel stood opposite from Cain at his door, clenching his jaw.   
'You were right. My brother would die for that mortal.'

Cain nodded solemnly. 'You need to put an end to their fling, Gabriel. We HAVE to kill him, and you know it. The love is too strong to just break up, it requires force.' He spat the word 'love' like it soured his stomach. 

'Easier said than done though, Cain. Lucifer may be mortal but he still has super strength, like any other angel.'

'Exactly!' Cain exclaimed, exasperated. 'You're an angel too, remember!'

Gabriel sighed. 'Yes, but I was never the strongest of Father's warriors. That title always went to Amenadiel.' He grumbled. 'I was never the 'best' at anything.'

'Gabriel, this is your chance to do justice! You take down the devil and you'll be exalted for centuries!'

The celestial seemed encouraged by that. 'True. I'd finally be worth something in Father's eyes. I'd finally be able to show to him that I'm not just his stupid messenger.'

These words gave him power, and he drew himself up proudly.   
'I'm going to do it tonight, Cain. I'll meet you back here when it is done.'

Before Cain could even wish him luck, Gabriel was gone.

**************************************************************  
That evening, Lucifer emerged from the kitchen in Chloe's apartment carrying two plates, a teatowel slung over his shoulder.   
'Two braised beef steaks served with vegetables, one for the lady and one for the little madame.' he announced, his mock French accent making Trixie giggle. 

Chloe beamed at him. 'This looks amazing, Lucifer. Thank you.' As he leant down to deliver the plates to the table, she craned her neck to meet his lips with hers. As always, he relished in the kiss. 

After bringing in his own plate, he sat at the table with them and they sank into easy conversation as he poured two glasses of red wine- one for her, one for him. 

From where Gabriel was standing outside, he couldn't see much, only the nauseating image of a happy family at mealtime. He saw his brother laugh and the smile that alighted on the detective's face at every one of his remarks and the small child sat with them who looked the happiest of them all. It made his stomach turn. They were dining with the devil, yet they enjoyed the experience as if he were an angel. Perhaps once, Gabriel thought, but now he was nothing but evil. 

As he observed his brother, he twirled the blade in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Gabriel's a douche. It's fun writing him but man does he make my skin crawl in this fic.
> 
> Hope you're enjoying so far! Sorry we have to end on a cliffhanger for today!


	3. Fading

They were snuggled on the sofa like every evening, watching TV together as a family. Lucifer had grown used to spending his nights with the two Deckers- there was nothing better in his opinion than the feeling of Chloe's head resting on his shoulder and Trixie sprawled out across his lap. 

It was getting late, and the routine was comfortable now for him. He knew that the child had to get to school the next day, so he begrudgingly disentangled himself from the detective and lightly tapped the little girl on his lap. 

'Beatrice' he called in a hushed voice. 'Time for bed, darling.'

She didn't make any motion to get up, so Lucifer bent his neck to look at her. The tension in the girl's muscles told him that she wasn't asleep, but she was certainly trying to feign it. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she tried her hardest to keep still.

Lucifer smiled fondly at her conspicuous attempt at trickery, but pretended he didn't know anyway. Like the night before, and the night before that, he gently slid his hands under her tiny frame and lifted her up so her head rested on his shoulder. Despite her being 'asleep', she lifted her arms and wrapped them around the back of the angel's neck. 

He quietly brought her into her room, and with one hand holding the small of Trixie's back, pulled back the sheets of her bed. As if she were made of glass, he lowered her carefully into it and brought the duvet up to her neck to tuck her in. The devious little smile on the urchin's face made her facade even more glaringly obvious, but he didn't care. He brushed a stray strand of hair away from her eyes, and planted a soft kiss to her forehead.

As he made his way out of her room and flicked off the light, her quiet voice called after him.  
'Goodnight, Lucifer. Love you'

'Sleep tight, Beatrice. I love you too.' It had taken him a while to get used to saying those words to someone other than Chloe. Trixie didn't make it hard, though. She had managed to weasel her way into his heart with her mischievous actions and adorable ways. He would give his life to save her just as he would for the detective.

He greeted Chloe with a kiss where she was on the sofa.  
'Thanks for putting her to bed, Lucifer.'   
She caressed his jawline affectionately, before he got up and strolled into the kitchen to get drinks for the two of them.  
Pulling a decanter and two glasses from the cupboard, he began to pour out the wine. He observed the deep crimson liquid flowing into the glass with a small grin that was stripped away the instant he heard the voice. 

'Hello, Samael.' Gabriel taunted, now standing at the other end of the kitchen. 

Lucifer turned, dumbstruck, to face him.   
'Gabriel? H-How- when?' he stammered.

'Received a prayer, brother. Doesn't happen often to me, being the one Father forgot.' His eyes darkened. 'Cain, as a matter of fact. Told me you've been hanging around a human again? And apparently she makes you vulnerable.'

Lucifer listened to his brother anxiously, heart pounding as it rushed to get blood to his head. He thought he might faint.   
'What do you want with her?' he demanded hoarsely.

Gabriel laughed. 'Oh no, it's not her that I'm after, Sammy! I'm just intrigued by this mortal quality you now possess...' He looked around the room, chuckling to himself, and then stared at Lucifer again.  
'Cain sent me to kill you.'

The words were like a sledgehammer to the chest. Surely his own brother wouldn't sink so low as to actually murder him?

'Gabe, don't listen to him. Whatever it is you want, I can help you get it. That's my thing, brother. My whole schtick is desire.'

His brother shook his head. 'No, Samael. I can't get worth in the eyes of Father through you, the disgraced son. I must send you back to where you belong.' he snarled.

Chloe had apparently heard the commotion, and walked to the entrance of the kitchen.   
'Lucifer? Who is this?'

Gabriel swivelled to face her before Lucifer could reply. 'I'm Gabriel, a brother of his. I've come to rid the world of his evil, Detective, one that you don't seem to understand. He's the Devil.'

Instead of the shock reaction he was going for, Chloe simply glared at him. 'I know his true identity. But he is NOT evil.'

The blonde-haired angel huffed. 'And how could you possible know that, after spending a mere few years with him? I'm his brother, and I know him far better than you ever could... Anyway, scram, human. This will be quite unpleasant.' He delivered the last line with a wicked glint in his eye, clearly delighting in the idea of killing Lucifer. 

Chloe stepped forward, fear filling her eyes.  
'What do you mean?'

Lucifer broke in first. 'Please, Chloe, stay with Trixie. I can't let him hurt you too.'

The tightness in the detective's chest was increasing by the second.   
'Too? What's going on?'

Gabriel looked at her with malice, popping his wings out.   
'Say goodbye, Detective. Lucifer's going back to Hell now.'

He threw a punch towards Lucifer's face, but the other celestial blocked it with a muscled arm.  
'Chloe, please go to Trixie' he strained, struggling against Gabriel's fist before elbowing him in the face. While the angel was disoriented, he called out again, desperate.   
'GO!' At that moment, Gabriel snapped out of his daze and threw another blow, this one connecting. Lucifer reeled helplessly, then came straight back to dodge another attack.   
Chloe fled to the relative comfort of Trixie's room, reluctantly. 

Lucifer shoved the other celestial away, sending him across the room to hit the opposing wall. Rather than acknowledge any semblance of hurt, Gabriel began to laugh again.  
'There's no use trying to fight back, brother. Though your celestial strength remains, you're still inflicted with a mortal tolerance for hurt. It won't be long before each hit catches up to you, whereas I'll be perfectly fine.'

Though Lucifer didn't want to accept it, he knew it was the truth. It was only a matter of time before he began to suffer; he was only postponing the inevitable. However, if there was one thing the devil knew about himself, it was that he wasn't going to go down without a fight. 

Gabriel hopped up from the ground, unscathed, and barrelled towards Lucifer, knife in hand. The other angel slid out of the way easily, and the messenger celestial went careening into the wall, sending dust flying. 

Scuffle after scuffle ensued, Lucifer sustaining cuts and bruises while Gabriel, of course, remained unharmed. The blonde haired angel admired the devil's persistence, at least- even in the face of certain defeat, he pushed on, only pausing occasionally to wipe the blood trickling from his nose or spit some of the same sustaining substance on the tiled floor. 

Eventually, Lucifer tired. His punches became slower and weaker, and he stumbled between lunges. He could do nothing when Gabriel grabbed the kitchen knife he had brought and plunged it deep into his chest. 

For a second, it looked like he wasn't aware of it, almost ignoring the jet black hilt protruding through his crumpled shirt. Then, he looked down at it and the jagged instrument draining away his remaining time became too much to bear. His knees buckled. His breaths became ragged and shaky. 

His brother stood over him, mouth twitching as he observed him bleeding out. Gabriel swayed a little, regret buzzing in his ears, pushed away in an instant in favour of accomplishment. He raised his wings and was gone before Lucifer had time to realise it. 

The door to Trixie's bedroom creaked open, and Chloe tentatively stepped out. When she saw Lucifer slumped against the counter, she choked back a scream and fell at his side.   
'Lucifer' she sobbed. 'No...no, no, no, no, NO!'  
He weakly thumbed her tears away, body shuddering with every breath. She clung to his suit jacket and tried to stem the flow of blood, but it squeezed through her fingers, uncaring, like a sticky river.   
'C-Chloe' he managed, breathless. She stroked his cheek, face damp with tears. 'I'm here, Lucifer.' 

He made to say something else, but blood rose in his throat and he choked on it. A thin tributary of it trailed out of his mouth and down his neck, the rest he coughed onto the kitchen floor.   
'I'm s-sorry it had to end this way' he continued. 

She scrambled for her phone.  
'N-no, it's not over yet! I-I'll call an ambulance, get you t-to the hospital, it'll be fine.'

He gazed sadly into her eyes. 'We b-both know that's not going to happen, darling.' With all his strength, he reached out a bloodied hand to cup her cheek. 'I'm g-going to have to go back d-down under. 'N I don't m-mean Australia.'  
He offered her a blood-stained smile, but she could only quietly cry beside him. 

'D-don't cry, Chloe. It's okay... I love you.'

'I love you too, Lucifer. S-so much, you can't leave me like this...' Angry at the world, her voice rose to a hoarse shout, throat raw. 'YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!'  
She slammed her fists into the floor, crumpling next to him, wracked with heaving sobs. His trembling hand came to her back, rubbing soothing circles like he wasn't dying before her eyes. 

She lifted herself up, telling herself that she couldn't break down just yet, she had to be there... when....it happened.  
Kneeling in front of him, she stroked his hair and tried to stop her tears from escaping.

The pool of blood was widening with each passing moment, and Lucifer's skin was now paper white.   
'I-in the safe at Lux... Money....documents...you have everything, Chloe.'

She felt a light inside her fizzle out. He was giving her a spoken will. That made it too real, and the thought of him not being there anymore crushed her heart.

No more inappropriate jokes at crime scenes.   
No more perfect coffee order awaiting her every morning.  
No more goofy smiles.  
No more unapproved law-enforcement techniques.  
No more mealtimes with him.  
No more cuddles on the sofa at night.  
No more whispered flirtations.  
No more playtimes with Trixie.  
No more rejuvenating kisses.  
No more Lucifer.

His breath rattled and she was brought back to reality. His eyes were half-lidded and he was barely there, but he managed to faintly whisper something.  
'S-sing to me, Chloe?'

She sniffed, and nodded. 'Of course, Lucifer. What do you want to hear?'

There was no vocal response from her barely-moving partner, only a slight shrug.  
'Okay, how about this one?  
Wise men say  
Only fools rush in...'

He joined her, voice thready but still angelic to her.

'But I can't help falling in love with you...  
Shall I stay?   
Would it be a sin  
If I can't help falling in love with you?'

Their voices came together, grief-stricken. She took hold of his limp hand, and he gently squeezed her fingers. His eyes were closed now, his breaths shallow.

They carried on.  
'Like a river flows  
Surely to the sea  
Darling, so it goes  
Some things are meant to be.

Take my hand  
Take my whole life too...'

He had gone quiet.  
'For I can't help falling in love with you.'   
The line was performed solo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I'm not crying, you are.  
> I'm afraid this is where the major character death tag comes in.  
> Be not afraid, though, because as I've hinted to in a few comments, this may not be the end of Lucifer Morningstar. It is, unfortunately, a hella depressing part though so I apologise for that. 
> 
> I'm trying to update every day, so come back tomorrow if you want. Or don't, I don't blame you if you decide you've had enough angst for a lifetime. 
> 
> Sorry for this one :(


	4. Heartbreak and Hell

Chloe looked at his lifeless body, terrified. He'd known it was going to happen and she had accepted, but seeing him like that made her realise how unprepared for grief she was. 

Desperation clung to her words. 'Lucifer...' she whispered, vision blurry. There was no reply. She called his name again and stroked his cheek tenderly, as if her touch would bring him back. It didn't. 

Trixie appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, clutching a teddy bear. Her eyes fell on Lucifer, and her bottom lip trembled.  
'Mommy, what's wrong with Lucifer?' she asked gently, her eyes filling with tears.

Chloe contemplated telling her that he was just sick, or sleeping, but the words caught in her throat.   
'Monkey, I...' she choked. 

The little girl walked carefully over towards her mother and wrapped her tiny arms around her silently. Chloe rubbed her daughter's back and they sat there for a few grief-stricken moments, both sobbing. 

**********************************************************  
Linda was the first person the detective thought to call. Shaky hands found the numbers on the phone screen; it began to ring. 

In seconds, the doctor's voice broke through, music to Chloe's ears.  
'Hi Chloe, what's up?'

'I...' she tried to speak, but the words didn't find substance on her lips. Eventually, she blurted it out. 'Lucifer's dead.'

The silence was ear-splitting. Then, Linda spoke again.

'What happened?' her chipper therapist voice was Gomez replaced by a terrified friend. 

'H-his brother Gabriel... Came out of nowhere, there was a fight... He knew about Lucifer's vulnerability, Linda, and he stabbed him. I c-can't...' The events relayed themselves in her head and the pain came back tenfold. 

'A-are you sure he's... Gone?' The question was hopeful.

Chloe gulped. She hadn't dared go into the kitchen, doing so would only reinforce his death as reality. She knew what she'd seen though, what she'd felt as she pressed her fingers to his neck. Nothing.  
'I-I checked... He's actually gone, Linda. And it's all because of me.' 

After all, if it wasn't for him meeting her, she would never have made him vulnerable, and he would never have had the ability to die. She knew the risks involved with being with him, but she'd ignored the possibility of him dying as if it were impossible. 

Then again, so had he. Many a time she'd been laying against his chest, listening to his heart beat, and the sudden realisation of his mortality had struck her. 

But he'd always told her the same thing- it was worth the risk, and he would rather come face to face with death than spend his life without her. 

Now, that idea had come to life. And he was gone. 

Linda interrupted her thoughts, her tone kind but harsh.   
'Chloe, it's NOT your fault. He loved you, and he knew the risks. This is down to his brother, and him only.'

His brother. The thought of him made rage consume her. How dare he break into her house and murder her love in the vicinity of both her and her young daughter. 

She wanted to kill him. 

Then, she remembered the snippet of conversation she'd heard; the name 'Cain'. Lucifer had told her who he was masquerading as- Lieutenant Pierce. Marcus had been at the very least partly responsible for her partner's death, and she would do everything in her power to punish him for it.

*********************************************************  
Azrael had transported all types of beings to Heaven or Hell, and she was now used to seeing the dead. 

She had just finished taking an elderly gentleman to the realm above, one of her favourite tasks, when she felt the calling to another dead mortal, this time in LA. Perhaps if she had time, she'd go and visit her brother afterwards. 

They'd made up when Lucifer had been poisoned, and now she came to see him as often as possible, with the detective and the child as well. They'd watch films and play games, the atmosphere there far better than any place in the Silver City. 

She let her gift guide her to the victim, soaring over LA. There was no danger of any humans spotting her, she had been designed in such a way that she was only visible when she wanted to be. Unlike her brother, she wasn't too open about her celestial nature. 

When she finally came to the scene of the death, her stomach lurched. This was the detective's apartment. Had she died? Lucifer would be distraught.

Thinking of ways to comfort him already, she entered the apartment and walked towards the body. The door to the kitchen was closed, where the dead person was, so she noiselessly pushed it open and peered inside. 

It was him. 

Her brother lay lifeless on the floor, surrounded by a river of blood. She came towards him and blinked back tears.   
'Brother' she greeted sadly. 'This is the last situation I wanted to find you in.'

Slightly gentler than she did with the other victims, she touched her hand to his chest. Light spread across his body and she felt his soul detach from it. 

He opened his eyes and carefully stood up, surveying his surroundings. Upon seeing his own body slumped against the counter, his hands curled into fists.   
'Bollocks.' 

Turning to Azrael, he sighed. 'Hello, sister. Shame we have to meet again in such circumstances.'

She looked down at her feet. 'Lucifer, how?'

He blinked for a second as if recollecting each minute before his untimely demise. Remembering Chloe and him singing as he passed, his eyes glimmered sadly.   
'It was Gabriel' he eventually said coldly. 'Cain sent him to kill me, and the bastard did it. In the same house as Chloe and Trixie nonetheless.'

He remembered the two Deckers, and rushed to Trixie's bedroom. Azrael called after him, but her words disintegrated the moment they reached his ears. All that mattered was Chloe and the urchin. 

She was huddled on the bed with Trixie, in the middle of a phone call, presumably to Amenadiel based off of the conversation. He approached her and tried to touch her face, but it was like he wasn't even there, like he was....oh. 

But Trixie saw him. 'Lucifer!' she cried. 'I thought you were dead!' She leapt up and ran over to him in an attempt to hug him, but passed seamlessly through.  
Chloe looked at her, bewildered. The small Decker doubled back and tilted her head as she stared at him.  
'Why can't I hug you, Lucifer?'

He bent down to look her in the eye. 'I am dead, Beatrice. I didn't know you'd be able to see me.'

Trixie nodded fiercely. 'I can!' She glanced at her mother, then turned back to Lucifer. 'I don't think Mommy can, though.'

The detective watched this one-sided conversation her daughter was having, and sat up suddenly as she understood. Heaven and Hell were real, so was it really so unlikely that Trixie could see the spirit of her dead lover?

Lucifer continued to the child. 'I need you to do something for me Beatrice, is that okay? I need you to tell your mother that I have to go down under now, but that I want her to be happy because I love her a lot. Okay?'

Trixie nodded again, obediently. 'Okay Lucifer, I'll do that.'

'I have to go now, sweetheart, but I'll miss you so very much.'

With that, he got up and walked through the open door, not daring to look back in case the urchin saw the tears streaming down his face. 

Azrael took his hand softly, and they disappeared in a flash of light. 

'What did Lucifer say, monkey?' Chloe asked eagerly.   
Her daughter flounced back onto the bed and looked her in the eyes.  
'He said that he has to go down under, but he wants you to be happy because he loves you a lot.'  
The detective sniffed and laughed softly, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. She pulled Trixie in close.   
'I suppose I should try to do as he asked then, huh?'

*********************************************************  
Azrael bid him farewell at the wrought-iron gates, apologising for not being able to stay long. She had unfortunately been requested in the Silver City, so she had to cut their goodbyes short. 

He pushed at the solid metal and the hinges creaked before letting him pass into the ashy wasteland. Nothing had changed in Hell, and it was the same depressing gloom that he had survived in for thousands of years. 

'Home, sweet home' he quipped sarcastically, running his finger along the cold stone walls and rubbing the residue between his thumb and forefinger. 

He popped out his wings and flew to the base of his throne, ready to take up his neglected position until the end of time. However, he stopped midair when he saw that the seat was not as vacant as expected. 

'Lilith!' he called up at her. 

She turned her head to look at him nonchalantly, slowly taking out her own wings and flying out to meet him.  
'Lucifer' she purred. 'What a pleasant surprise.'

He huffed. 'I wouldn't say that, I'd much rather not have to return to this pit of despair. Unfortunately, duty calls!'

She chuckled. 'So what, you come down here and waltz your way back to the throne as if you haven't been gone?'

'That's the plan, yes.' he muttered impatiently. Bloody demons. 

'I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Luce. We don't need you anymore.'

He observed her quizzically. 'What do you mean? The King of Hell disappears for a few years and now I'm no longer needed? Tough, I'm back.'

Her expression hardened. 'That wasn't a request. I'm in charge around here now.'

Now it was his turn to laugh. 'Oh, Lilith, you do crack me up... Come on, let me up there you minx.'

She was still glaring daggers at him. 'No. You're not the King of Hell, anymore, you've gone far too soft for us. We've replaced you.'

He swallowed, dumbfounded at her audacity. His eyes flashed red for a second. 'Lilith, if you don't-'

She whistled. 

He swivelled just in time to see a pack of hellhounds bounding towards him, though they didn't seem as friendly to him as they had been.  
'Abraxas, Achlys, Tannin! Long time no see, my beautiful boys!'

Instead of his usual slobbery greeting, he was met by a chorus of snarls. 

'They don't answer to you anymore, Lucifer.' Lilith explained. 'They'll do only as I order them.'

Lucifer turned on her, furious. 'Lilith, if this is some kind of practical joke, it's not funny.'

She clicked her fingers, and the dogs were on him. Their claws raked at his torso and wings, their breaths hot on his neck as they wrestled him into submission. He tried to fight them off, but he had raised his hounds to be persistent, and they continued until he stopped struggling. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of hearing him yell out, though. 

'Lilith, when I get my hands on you-'

'Abraxas, Achlys, Tannin, take him to the cell.'

Without hesitation, the dogs grabbed hold of his wings and began dragging him painfully across the concrete. He gritted his teeth so as not to scream as the material scraped his skin.   
'How dare you, Lilith.... HOW DARE YOU!'

His shouts faded in her ears as they pulled him through the passageway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey guys, apologies for not updating yesterday, I've had a killer stomachache and I couldn't bring myself to move from the fetal position to write lmao. 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)


	5. Suffering without you

Chloe Decker had mostly held things together since Lucifer's death, especially at work. Some days, the grief was worse and she struggled to concentrate, but she never broke completely. 

Fulfilling her partner's wish for her to be happy was no mean feat, especially on that Tuesday. She'd arrived at work that morning, greeted by the expanse of her desk again rather than her coffee order and a smile from Lucifer like before. 

She'd been relegated to desk duty since the incident, which she didn't mind really. The work was monotonous, which was comforting. It felt like the only thing that didn't change in her hectic life was the endless mountain of paperwork. 

Dan had been checking on her constantly over the past few days after she'd ignored his pleas for her to go home and rest, insisting everything was okay. Everything was NOT, in fact, okay, but she didn't want to burden him or anyone else. Despite Dan's proclaimed hatred of Lucifer, he'd been unusually quiet since his death and seemed to wince at the name. The strange civilian consultant had clearly grown on him.

Whatever the case, Chloe resigned herself to bottling the emotions up. It was a tactic Linda would have wholly disagreed with, but it was the only option for the detective that allowed her to carry on. Accepting that he was gone would only provide her with more grief.

Unfortunately, it seemed that was what the universe wanted for her. 

The precinct radio had been on all morning, in the background whilst Chloe filed through papers and scribbled in details. Well-known classics crackled through the speakers to provide ambiance for the officers to work in, since Lucifer's exuberant presence was no longer enough to keep morale high. She quite enjoyed listening to it.

Until it played THAT song. It came out of nowhere, gently buzzing through the speakers like every other song, except it WASN'T every other song. 

'Wise men say'. She gritted her teeth and tried to concentrate on the paperwork. There was no way she was succumbing to her emotions now. Absolutely not.

'Only fools rush in.' Her chest ached with grief. Maybe she should just go to the bathroom for a few minutes?

'But I can't help'. The image of his lifeless body on her kitchen floor forced itself into her mind's eye. Her eyes prickled.

'Falling in love with you.' The floodgates opened. 

She stood up, ready to leave, when she saw through the haze of her vision Ella working in the lab. As much as Chloe thought she would prefer containing her feelings, she decided she had to talk to someone. Her feet dragged her towards the door, which she apprehensively opened. She slipped inside, almost hoping to stay unnoticed. 

But, of course, Ella noticed.

'Hi, Chloe' she greeted, registering her presence and turning around. 'What's u- oh. Are you okay?'

The detective's facade disappeared. 'N-no, Ella.. I'm really not. T-there was a song, r-reminded me of him.'

The forensic scientist stopped what she was doing and wrapped Chloe in a tight embrace. 'I'm so sorry, Chloe... I can't imagine what it's...'

'Y-know, I sang to him... while he died. He a-asked me to.' 

Ella rubbed her shoulder encouragingly. 'What did you sing?'

Chloe tried to speak, but the words wouldn't leave her mouth. Instead, she pulled the brunette out of the room so she could hear for herself.

'Take my hand, take my whole life too'. 

Ella stood there, completely still, facing away from Chloe.

'For I can't help falling in love with you.'

When she turned to Chloe again, she was blinking back tears. For once, Ella was lost for words.

**********************************************************  
Lilith towered over him, beaten and bloodied from the torture. She grinned at Lucifer's suffering.  
'Look what the King of Hell has been reduced to' she mocked, kicking him in the stomach. 

'W-why? Why do this to me?'

She licked her lips. 'Because I can, Lucifer. And that's reason enough for me.'

He grimaced. Even though she was Hell's first demon, he'd for some reason expected an ounce of compassion from his first companion down under. Unfortunately, yearning for such treatment was a lost cause. Lilith wouldn't listen.

She spun the dark blade in her hand and teasingly brought it to his neck, forcing him to look up at her.  
'You're so much softer now than even I'd suspected. But that'll make this double the fun.' 

Slowly, she dragged the knife down his chest and watched the blood bloom in mock fascination. Then, she stood back and sneered at him.  
'Good luck, my Lord. I had this one crafted JUST for you.'   
She sauntered to the door and slammed it behind her, dissolving the scene of the cell and replacing it instantly with Chloe's apartment.

Shakily, Lucifer stood up. A hell loop. Of course.

He had only just put on his shirt, which was coincidentally perfectly placed on the floor beside him, when Chloe walked in. Not Chloe, though. This was an illusion to trick him and torture him. The real Chloe was beyond his grasp.

She eyed him carefully, crossing her arms. 'What on earth are you doing here, Lucifer?'

It wasn't real. It wasn't real. It wasn't real. 

But she seemed so... real. Maybe he could just enjoy it while it lasted?

'I-I've been looking for you, Chloe. I've missed you.'

He was met with a look of contempt.   
'I haven't missed YOU, Lucifer. Now go.'

It wasn't real. But it seemed so real. 

'Chloe, I-'

'Go, Lucifer. I don't love you. I never have and I never will.'

The words hit him like a freight train. This wasn't real. It was just an illusion. She didn't actually think that.

As if hearing his thoughts, she continued. 'I've held this opinion for so long, Lucifer. At first, I played along. Made you think we were a happy family unit, but we never were. It's an act. A ruse. I should've stopped pretending for your sorry ass a long time ago.'

It wasn't real. But maybe it was true? 

'You're the devil. I could never love the devil. Nobody could. You're evil.'

He was, wasn't he? He was evil, oh so evil. How could he ever think for a second Chloe loved him?

No. It wasn't real. He knew that.   
After all, he'd designed hell loops for so long. This was their purpose. All he had to do was fight back. 

'Hey, are you listening to me?'   
He snapped back to her and steeled himself. She wasn't real.  
'I hate you. I loathe you. With every inch of my being. You DISGUST me.'

She wasn't real. 

She stepped towards him with each insult, before she was right in front of him.   
'You're not worthy of love.'   
She slapped him, hard. 

The pain was red hot, on his cheek and within him. So long as he reminded himself it wasn't real, he would be okay. 

'Do you know how much danger you've put me and Trix in? You've hurt us so many times. It's all your fault.'

Chloe swivelled away from him and left him to curl up into himself. It wasn't real, he told himself as he heard the door slam. She didn't think that. 

But as the surroundings shifted and he was in the kitchen, her in front of him, looking him up and down again, he sank. He knew how these things worked, how they fed off of your own guilt. There was no way to escape them.

Because when someone tells you something a million times over, you'll have no choice but to believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey there, update a Iittle later than usual because I had a little writer's block! 
> 
> As always, I love reading comments so feel free to leave them, and thank you for reading another chapter :)


	6. Darkening

Samael was only a fledgling when God gave him the ability to create light. His other siblings had watched in awe as he created sparks from his fingertips, wondering where they had come from. 

For years, he perfected the art of light-making by spending days upon days in the silver city moulding beams with his own two hands. 

Sometimes, his younger sister Azrael would enter, enchanted by the sight, and would sit at his feet as he crafted the orbs. 

He'd been practising for years, but lately it appeared that every glimmer of light he made soon flickered out and died. It was strange; when he'd showed Father his creations they had been magnificent, but since He had ignored Samael they weren't quite right. 

One day, God entered the chamber where his son worked, and chastised him for the lack of new stars.   
'I need them' He'd said impatiently. 'Hurry up, Samael, and use the abilities I gave you!'

And though the Lightbringer slaved over his work obsessively, he could never produce the stars his Father so adamantly demanded. It had been days and days of non-stop work when Samael finally held his head in his hands and cursed himself for his inadequacy. He didn't often show his emotions- Father never knew how to deal with those- so instead he simmered over silently alone, hoping his inability to succeed at his task would pass. 

Azrael found him by himself and planted herself resolutely at the door of his chamber. Though only young, she was wise and observant, especially when it came to her brother.  
'Something's wrong, Sammy.' she observed. 'Tell me.'

He looked up at her, defeated, and admitted it. 'I can't create light like I used to, Rae-Rae. Father will be angry but as hard as I try, it won't happen.'

She paused for a moment, pondering. 'Where does your light actually come from?'

That stumped him. 'I don't know, really... It just appears.'

'Nuh-uh. It comes from YOU, Sammy. Maybe you just don't believe in yourself enough?'

He scoffed. 'You think that HOPE is the thing that allows me to create light? Well then, if that's the case, why have I not-' 

Oh. Perhaps he really had lost hope after Father had ignored him? Perhaps Azrael was right?

'Father didn't care when I showed him what I'd made, Rae-Rae.' he confessed bitterly. 'I suppose I... felt a little disheartened.' He cleared his throat and pretended to look at the floor to avoid revealing the redness creeping across his cheeks. 

'Well, that's okay, Sam!' she assured. 'You just need a little bit of hope, that's all! Stop working so hard and play with me!'

So, he'd accepted her offer and spent the rest of the day chasing Azrael around the gardens of Heaven happily, letting all other thoughts flood away except the joy he felt when he was around her. Then, once she'd been tackled to the ground for the fiftieth time, she grinned at him and pointed to his hands. Light was practically bursting from his palms, and he easily conjured a radiating ball of it within seconds. 

'Thank you, Rae-Rae.' he'd beamed between ecstatic laughs. 'I guess you were right! It IS all about hope!'

From then on, his stars had been magnificent. Father was still mostly unbothered when it came to Samael's contributions, but Azrael was always there to offer him a smile and congratulations. 

Even when he fell, some hope still resided inside him to sustain the light within. When he became Lucifer and governed over Hell, he clutched it tightly and told himself it would one day brim over again. Then, he met the Detective, and as their love blossomed into something wonderful, his hope followed suit. It kept his light strong. 

Until, a month after his death, the first star fizzled out. 

There were billions, of course, so it was noticed by very few indeed. A small number of astronomers noted the occurrence in their studies, but chalked it up to a random event. Stars died naturally all the time. 

Then came the second death. 

And the third. 

Followed shortly by the fourth. 

In a matter of hours, ten stars had faded out of existence entirely. Again, a few stray observers saw the events, though shrugged it off quickly. 

What did a few stars matter?

That was the general consensus for the first few days. Even after a hundred stars had disappeared, life carried on as usual. 

It was only when their decline increased that everyday people began to notice. 

And so did Michael. 

From his vantage point in the Silver City, he could see huge numbers of the twinkling lights that his brother had created. While he watched them sadly one day, a star in his field of view faded. Then another. And another.

That wasn't normal, was it?

He extended his wings and flew to his Father, concerned. God barely looked up as he tinkered on a new creation.  
'Father' Michael urged. 'I need to speak to you. I think something's wrong with Lucifer.'

His Father twitched at the name. Oh, right...

'Samael.' Michael corrected. 'Some stars are dying, Father, and I really think you ought to-'

'I ought to what? Don't try to command me, Michael, you know where that got your brother.' God mumbled, still not taking his eyes off of his work.

The angel shifted uneasily. 'I'm sorry, Father, but Sam needs help, I'm sure of it. He told me once that his light feeds off of-'

'I thought I told you not to listen to your brother? Look, I'm busy right now.'

Michael clenched his jaw and stood his ground. 'No, Father. This is important. You may not care for Lucifer but as his twin, I do. Surely you have a responsibility as his Father to-'

'You don't get to tell me what is or isn't my responsibility, Michael.' God lifted his eyes from what he was doing and stared coldly at the angel.

'Stop. Interrupting. Me.' Michael replied, chest heaving. 'You think you can just shy away from any responsibility that you don't want? You can't, Father, and I learned that the hard way when you made me kick my brother out! I've done as you've asked for so long, will you please for once listen to me!'

God stood up suddenly. 'If you're so concerned about my wayward son' he barked, spitting the word 'son' out like a curse, 'go and assist him yourself.'

Michael threw his hands out in exasperation. 'You know what, Father, I will.' he announced. 

'Very well, Michael. Go to Samael, then, and watch him refuse your help. He's beyond saving.'

'He's not, Father.' the angel snapped, already storming towards the edge of the clouds. He steadied himself, and turned his head to look back at God.   
'And his name' he growled. 'is Lucifer.'

He leapt off of the safety of the Silver City, and disappeared into the mist below.


	7. Starlight

As soon as Michael had vanished from sight, God sighed deeply. Treating him like that was a hard task, but He knew that the only way Lucifer was to be saved was through the angel. 

Michael would be angry, and rightly so. It had appeared to him that God didn't care in the slightest for his rebellious son, when in fact the almighty was already aware of the perilous situation at hand and was doing his best to resolve it. 

Samael's hope was fading and it was up to his twin to save the day. In God's eyes, it didn't matter what had to be done to achieve that. The only question now was how Michael would go about saving his brother- that was an answer that even the all-knowing being Himself didn't have. 

He looked up at the stars that Lucifer had created all those years ago, and bowed his head. With each passing second, more simply faded out of existence. Time was of the essence for Michael, and the last thing he needed was any interference. 

Especially not from Gabriel, who had entered God's workplace shyly. 

Perhaps he wasn't aware that his Father already knew about his sins, or perhaps he hoped that the atrocious acts would please Him. Whatever the case, God was not in the mood for an explanation.

'Gabriel' he greeted, turning to face him with a deadpan expression. 'How can I help you?'

The angel shifted uncomfortably. 'Where is Michael going?'

'To fix YOUR mess.'

Gabriel gulped. 'If this is about what happened to Samael, I thought that-'

'WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG!' The Almighty boomed, slamming his fist against the desk. 'YOU SLAUGHTERED MY SON, AND YOU THINK I'D BE PLEASED?'

He approached the blonde-haired angel in front of him.  
'When I cast Lucifer out, I made a fatal mistake. One that I've spent millennia trying and failing to rectify; one that I only recently seemed to half-correct with the creation of Chloe Decker. For once, he was happy...' A saddened expression flitted across his face, then anger usurped it. 'And you, Gabriel, undid it all in a quest to appease me. You murdered Lucifer in the company of Decker and her daughter, hereby leaving a trail of grief and destruction in your wake.'

Gripping Gabriel harshly by the arm, He led him to the edge of the clouds where Michael had jumped off.  
'Look here. You see that?' He gestured towards the multitude of dying stars in the sky. 'That is your doing. Lucifer is in Hell now, and he is losing hope. I can only imagine that Lilith has him captured and is putting him through all manner of horrendous scenarios right this moment.'

He looked Gabriel dead in the eye.  
'You better pray that Michael is successful in his rescue mission. Because Lucifer being saved is the only way you'll escape the greatest punishment for your sin.'

********************************************************  
Chloe watched the dying stars from the balcony of Lux, her retreat as of late.  
'What's happening to you, Lucifer?' she asked into the open air. 

The recent events must have been related to him- she'd found out about his creations that time in the hospital. It seemed like decades ago to her now. 

Whatever it was, there was no way it was signalling something good. 

She was lost in thought when she heard footfalls coming towards her, and the next thing she knew Maze was standing beside her, also looking out at the stars. She held a glass of whiskey in one hand, swirling the liquid around whilst she gazed off into the distance.  
'I miss him too' she revealed, taking a swig. 'I'm guessing you've noticed this recent development' she pointed the pinkie of the hand clutching the glass towards the sky. 

'Yeah, I did' Chloe admitted. 'What does it mean?'

Maze shrugged. 'I don't know. Something bad. It's never happened before.'

Chloe ran her hand across the railing. 'Everyone's panicking, you know? They think it's the end of days or something.' 

The demon chuckled dryly. 'Could be, I suppose. If this affliction reaches the sun, it's plausible that we could all go out in suffocating darkness.' 

Chloe shot her a look. 'Yeah, thanks for that Maze, reeaallllyy reassuring. I hope he's alright.'

Maze nodded. 'So do I. If I were to take a guess, I'd say that Lilith has something to do with this.'

'Lilith?'

'My mother. First of all demons. She's been trying to get at Lucifer's power for millennia, maybe she finally did it.'

Chloe breathed in nervously. 'What do you mean?'

'Well, I suppose she could've trapped Lucifer down there. Made the captor the captive?'

'You really think she'd do that? Would she torture him too?'

Maze gritted her teeth. 'That bitch would do anything in pursuit of her own gain. I wish I'd killed her when I had the chance.'

'So he could be hurt?' Chloe suggested. 'That's why the stars are dying?'

'Possibly. I mean, there's only so much torture someone can take, even an angel.'

The detective chewed on a nail anxiously and Maze cautiously put an arm around her. 'Hey, it'll be okay, Decker. Lucifer's strong.'

'I hope you're right.'

*****************************************************

Around the 600th Hell loop, the weapons entered the picture. Most of the time it was Chloe, since the demons had figured out he was affected the most by her, but sometimes it was Dan or Ella.

They'd enter the scene, berate him as always, then pull out their latest torture device. By now, he came to expect it. He deserved it, after all. They told him so every time they put a bullet in his chest and left him to bleed out, or carved him with a butcher's knife like he was livestock in the abbatoir.

The first few times the detective had hurt him, he'd sobbed and begged for forgiveness.

Now, he let her work in silent submission.

Lilith watched the scenes, irritated. He was supposed to get emotional, to break and cry like a pathetic baby. Nothing in her plan said anything about him just giving up.

Lucifer NEVER gave up.

Part of her felt sadness when she looked at him, lying there. He didn't even move now, or open his eyes.

But she was the new ruler of Hell, and she was going to take advantage of her position while she could.

So she kept it up, increasing the pain inflicted on her previous master when she felt like it, delighting in the feeling of power she had over him.

It just wasn't the same when he didn't seem to care anymore.


	8. Operation: Save Lucifer

Chloe Decker was just putting Trixie to bed when she heard the knock at the door. It was late and certainly no time for a chat, so she figured it must be important. 

Leaving her daughter with a kiss on the forehead, she walked towards the door and opened the latch. 

Her fake smile disappeared when she saw who it was.

'Pierce' she breathed. 'What are you doing here?'

It took all of her being not to punch him in the face for lying to her about his identity and trying to sleep with her just so he could die, and most importantly, his role in the murder of Lucifer. 

'Chloe' he grinned, clutching a bouquet of flowers. 'I'm so sorry for your loss.'

Who did he think he was? 

Did he think it was funny mocking her, gifting tainted flowers in exchange for her partner's life, which HE had taken?

Gabriel had never returned to bring news of Lucifer's killing, so Cain had learnt of it through the tabloids like every other pleb. Of course, without Gabriel, he hadn't been notified about the truth- how Chloe knew of Lucifer's true nature and loved him anyway, and how she also knew that Cain was an abhorrent snake who would stop at nothing to get her. 

At the offering of the flowers, she slapped them out of his hands. There was no way she could pretend that she didn't know; not after what had happened.  
'How DARE you come here, to my house, after you sent an angel to kill him!'

He stammered, clearly caught out by the accusation. 'I-er, Chloe-'

She cut him off with another slap, this time to his face.   
'GET OFF OF MY PROPERTY AND NEVER LET ME SEE YOU AROUND HERE AGAIN, CAIN!'

Angry tears blurred her vision, but she could still see his silhouette. She shoved him and slammed the door in his face, crumpling to the ground. 

Still, he persisted, opting to bang his fist against the transom window.   
'Chloe!' his muffled shouts rang out. 'Chloe, wait!'

Feeling for the phone in her pocket, she considered calling the police but thought better of it. If they asked her to explain the situation, it would only cause more problems. 

Who would believe a grief-stricken woman rambling that her lover's murder was plotted by the LAPD Lieutenant?

No, she had to deal with this herself- for now. 

She crawled across the freezing floor until she came to the adjoining room, and shakily pulled out her mobile. After opening up her contacts, she flicked through them, hoping one would jump out at her as the person to call. 

Dan? No way. Explaining to her ex-husband that his boss was actually a biblical figure seemed like a one-way ticket to a mental institution, despite how trusting he was. 

Maze? No. As much as the demon's assistance would be appreciated, it would take too long for her to get there. Chloe needed something faster. 

Like, celestial speed fast...

She dialed Amenadiel's number and waited nervously for him to pick up, trying to ignore the agitated yells coming from outside.   
'Hi, Chloe, you okay?' His caramel voice was music to her ears. The angel had vowed to protect her after Lucifer's death, and so far he'd been a literal godsend. 

'No, not really, Amenadiel. It's Cain. He's outside my house trying to get in, I need your help.'

'Okay, I'll be there.' 

He hung up, and within seconds there was a gust of air and he had appeared in front of her.   
'Where is he?' he asked protectively. There was a glint of fury in the angel's dark eyes. 

The detective gestured towards the front door, and he moved towards it, flexing his fingers. He drew back the bolt and opened it to reveal Cain, face reddened.  
'Leave, Cain.' he commanded. 

The immortal took a bold step forward. 'Or what, angel boy? Gonna kill me?' He let out an indignant snicker. 

Amenadiel blinked calmly and crossed his arms. 'You know I can't do that. But I can certainly make you hurt.'

'Do it, then' the intruder dared. He splayed his arms out and lurched aggressively forward. 'I've got nothing to live for now anyway.'

'That's your fault, Cain. You could've had a chance with Chloe if you'd gone about it peacefully. You should know that killing your competition doesn't help things. Now go.'

Cain shook his head. 'Not gonna happen, Amenadiel.'

Then, stupidly, he threw a punch. 

Chloe barely had time to register the movement of Cain's hand when the angel caught it and twisted it painfully, causing the immortal to cry out. Immediately, he tried to retaliate by kicking Amenadiel in the gut, but the weak attempt was no match for God's mightiest warrior. 

In a lightning-fast motion, he had gripped Cain by the neck and slammed him against the wall. There was a sickening crunch as the wall cracked with the force. 

The immortal slid down it, breathing heavily, then tried to get up again. Amenadiel stopped him easily by pointing the tip of his wing at the murderer's throat.   
'Leave this apartment, Cain.' he growled. 

And he did. 

******************************************************  
The ash tumbled down onto Michael's shoulders as he manoeuvred his way around Hell. 

It was an unfamiliar environment for him, and he took in the bleak surroundings grimly. How had his brother spent so long in this hopeless abyss? Even as its ruler Michael assumed residing there would be horrific. 

He felt awful for his actions those years ago. 

Lucifer had begged him not to do it, to have mercy on him and let him go anywhere but there. Of course, like a good little soldier, he'd listened to his Father and blocked out the piteous cries of his desperate brother. 

Now, he told himself, he would never again follow the rules so blindly. Damn the consequences. 

He turned the corner, indistinguishable from the thousands of other walls down there, and the towering throne came into view. Overlooking the maze, it was a sight to behold. Unlike Father's throne of gold and jewels, it was dark and undecorated. Also dissimilar to Heaven's seat, it bore no cushions or silk adornments for comfort. As was everything in Hell, it was rough and uncomfortable. 

This was Lucifer's punishment for his pride. He'd been granted his wish of sitting on a high throne, just not the one beside God. Instead, he'd been banished to govern the lost souls of the underworld without his siblings or Father. 

For an action of the Almighty and Just, it was an unfair discipline. Lucifer had never once outright admitted that he wanted to rule over Earth instead, like so many tales had said. All he'd done was shared his input, and questioned the decisions of its creator when he thought it important. 

Michael recalled one of the unfortunate conversations that had led to his brother's banishment. Father had been in the process of moulding man for the first time, and he'd gathered his children to watch. 

Lucifer had observed the creation happily, praising God for the details and being overtaken by wonder when the creature came to life. All was going well. 

Then, God had gone about making woman. Again, his favourite son had watched keenly, beaming at the final product. He declared it a masterpiece of Father's and examined the beautiful project with amazement. 

Still, things were peaceful. 

Tensions began to increase, however, when God had announced the position of woman.  
'This is woman' He had declared, proudly. 'And she will be at man's side. He will have dominion over her, and she should obey his whims for she is his property.'

Many of the angels had nodded obediently, accepting of Father's explanation. 

Lucifer was the first to speak in opposition.   
'But Father' he'd interjected. 'Why should man control woman? What makes her lesser?'

God had grumbled an impatient reply. 'Because I said she is, Lucifer. I am her creator, and thus I decide.'

This had not satisfied his son, though, who interrupted the speech again.   
'You created her with the same intelligence, correct? Surely man and woman therefore should be equal.' 

This angered the Almighty. 'I did not ask of your counsel, son.'

'That I know, Father, but I think it's unjust. There's only a slight difference in their physical capabilities, I simply don't understand why one should have power over the other.'

God had sent away the other angels, and approached Lucifer alone.   
'Lucifer, you must not question me. I have reasons for everything I do, and I certainly don't appreciate you butting in whenever you feel it's appropriate. My decision is final.'

When the angel had tried to speak again, the Creator had silenced him with a smack and left him to nurse his sore cheek. 

Michael remembered the exchange well, and cursed himself for not stepping in and supporting his brother. There were a few dissidents that day, but he had not been among them, and he regretted it. 

Lucifer had been right, after all. Most of the time, when he questioned Father, his reasoning had been sound. 

Michael could sense his brother's presence in the bleakness, and searched it out. Following what felt like months of seeking, he came to a steel door. He opened it tentatively, the sight like a punch in the stomach.

Lucifer was sat against the wall of a recreation of his penthouse, eyes closed. He was bloodied and bruised, unmoving even when Hell-loop Chloe approached him and tried to rouse him. Michael didn't know too much about Chloe, but in the rare times that he'd been able to check on his brother, the detective was there with him. He loved her.

That was when Michael realised it. When he saw his brother normally, he practically exuded light, but now it was a mere faint glow around him. 

His hope was fading. 

Without a second thought about anything else, he raced in and fell at Lucifer's side.   
'Brother, come on' he urged, shaking him slightly. 'Wake up, it's me, Michael.'

His brother opened his eyes sluggishly and stared blankly at him. 

'I'm getting you out of here, Lucifer. But you need to get up for me.'

It was as if he didn't even hear him. Rather than scrambling to get up, he closed his eyes again and waved a blood-encrusted hand dismissively in Michael's direction.   
'G'way. M tired.'

'Please, brother.' Michael begged, desperation thick in his tone. 'You have to get out of here, get back to Earth and see Chloe.'

The word 'Chloe' seemed to trigger something inside of Lucifer, because his eyes shot open.  
'Brother?' he croaked. 'W-why?'

'I'm so sorry, Lucifer, I really am. I was a fool to play a part in Father's game all those years ago, but now I'm trying to make it up to you. You have to go.' Michael pleaded. 

Lucifer shook his head solemnly. 'N-no, brother, *why*? Why go back to her? She doesn't love me... no one could.'

Michael took his brother's shoulders and looked deep into his eyes. 'She does. More than you could ever fathom. This is Hell, what she says and does in here isn't real. You have to trust me.'

Lucifer closed his eyes again and a hot tear escaped from underneath his eyelids.   
'C-can't.'

His twin understood that it would take a miracle to get his brother out of there of his own volition. He would have to force him out. 

So, he stood up and hoisted Lucifer up with him, supporting his brother as he wobbled precariously on his feet. 

'W-where're you taking me?' the broken angel mumbled as they drew closer to the door. 'Wha'bout you?'

Michael pressed his lips together into a thin line and pushed his brother towards the open door out of Hell that he'd come through.   
'I'll take your place.' he asserted. 'We're twins, after all. The demons'll notice pretty quickly, but it should buy you enough time to cross over back to Earth.'

His brother tilted his head. 'T-they'll tor'ure you, Mikey.' he slurred. 'S'not fair.'

Michael shrugged and weakly smiled. 'Better me than you, eh? I deserve it, after all. What with kicking you out of Heaven 'n all that.' 

Lucifer stumbled towards his brother and hugged him desperately, still teetering a little.

Michael took the opportunity to steer him towards the door, so when they pulled apart he was exactly on the threshold.   
'Goodbye, Lucifer.' 

Before his brother could make any motion to oppose him, he gently pushed him through the door, just as the sound of clamoring demons could be heard approaching in the distance.


	9. The return

Dan traipsed through the sodden ground for the fourth time that month, the sky clouded and forlorn looking. 

The news stations had stopped reporting about the vanishing stars, because their disappearances had begun to slow. Most scientists now dismissed it again like they had before as purely a natural phenomenon, and life had returned to normal.

He pushed onwards, closer to the pristine headstone he'd visited on multiple occasions before in secret. To be honest, the detective didn't really know why he wanted to cover up his grief over Lucifer's passing- he was a coworker after all, and despite the jokes and taunts, he'd been like a friend to Dan. It just seemed embarrassing for him to admit that he missed him. God knows why...

The thought of said almighty being made him nearly chuckle. If Lucifer really was in the afterlife, perhaps he'd get the chance to meet the Big Guy he so often claimed was his estranged father! 

It was only as he drew nearer to the site that he noticed something was different. 

The grave was unusual anyway compared to most, since Amenadiel had insisted on Lucifer's coffin being unburied, though it still rested in a hole in the earth. Apparently it was for 'religious reasons', though Dan couldn't fathom what 'religion' the guy was getting at. The civilian consultant seemed quite anti-religious most of the time, but people can surprise you sometimes, so he didn't question it. Nevertheless, the tradition was alien to him. 

Today, however, something was notably changed. 

The coffin was open. And empty. 

Dan felt anger bubble up inside him. Had some filthy grave robber raided the site, taking Lucifer's body with them? Had he been dug up for other reasons? Whatever the case, the detective persevered to find the perpetrator, no matter what wild goose chase it led him on. 

Whoever had done it was clearly an amateur, judging by the fingerprints on the edge of the coffin and clear footprints leading away from the scene of the crime. The pattern of the prints seemed familiar, unique, like he recognised the shoe... But he waved away the thought and continued the investigation.

He followed the footprints carefully, watching as they zig-zagged across the turf and intermittently became fainter and clearer. It was as if the robber had been drunken, stumbling around cluelessly after he fled the area.

Not fled, though. The way the whole footprint could be seen rather than just the fronts suggested that the criminal had... walked away. What kind of idiot would steal a body then slowly make an exit? It was like nothing Dan had ever seen. 

Despite only being late afternoon, the weather had turned the heavens a deep grey, and the detective reached for his flashlight to continue the search. He scanned it gradually across his surroundings as he hunted for more clues. 

Soon, he came to a clearing, the back thick with shrubbery and trees from what he could see in the measly light. The footprints were closer and closer together, like the thief had shuffled his way into the area. Dan could sense that he was close. 

With a renewed speed, he followed the trail, the prints getting fainter by the second. As he lifted his torch again, he saw it. 

It was so shrouded by the descending darkness that if he'd not had his flashlight on hand, he would have missed it- but it was there. 

Something was curled on the floor at the edge of the clearing, an intangible bundle of shapes that the detective inferred was human, or at least relating to the case. When he came closer, Dan frowned. 

Perhaps the thing wasn't human after all, but rather a hurt animal? He could make out the form of a wing protruding from the creature, one that appeared to be curved protectively over it, a poor attempt at shelter. The feathers looked white, though dirt and... blood?... flecked them and smudged away the brilliance of them. Even in spite of the stains, they were mesmerising appendages- there was a very weak glow surrounding them, but it pulsated frequently as though on the verge of dying out entirely. 

This thing needed his help. 

He tilted the torch away from the creature's wings and panned it over the rest of the body.

Instead of more feathers (like Dan had been anticipating), the rest of the thing was wholly humanoid. Bare skin streaked with slashes dripping in blood could be seen beneath the wings, and it continued all the way until the lower torso. 

The creature was wearing trousers, though these too had been torn and shredded, marred with crimson stains and smeared with dirt. 

Dan's heart pounded at the realisation, but he edged closer to the being and circled it slowly until he came to its front. 

At first, he worried that it was dead, killed by the dozens of wounds it sported. Then, he pointed his torch at its torso and saw its chest weakly rise and fall, the muscles near its collarbone lightly moving as it breathed. 

Okay, it was alive. That was a start. 

Something in the detective stopped him from instantly moving the flashlight up to the creature's face. He was frozen in shock from the discovery of this thing, a being which could now only be described, in Dan's capacity, as an angel. 

He'd read about them in the Bible, heard tales at his Catholic grandmother's house about the celestial beings that roamed the Heavens above. Multitudes of media had tried to depict them in all their sacred glory, and many religious philosophers had given different accounts of what they looked like. 

Some had been beautiful and perfect, rosy-cheeked humanoids that guarded the golden gates. Some had been portrayed as child-like beings, cherubs that resembled babies but with wings. Others had been shown as strange symbol-like things with a billion eyes that resembled nothing of the earthly plane. 

Dan had mostly ruled out the latter option, but the extent of the creature's visage- handsome or not- had been left shrouded in mystery, and would remain so for as long as he held the light over the being's chest and inched not a hair further up. 

The idea of seeing something so heavenly gripped him with a kind of biblical fear he'd only experienced a few times in his life, mostly when his grandma had told him stories of Hell and demons and pits of fire. 

This was different, though. He was face to face with the divine. And he had no idea what to expect. 

The last thing he expected to see when he flicked the torch up was the face he was greeted with, mostly untouched by the cuts that dotted the rest of his body. The wing he'd seen earlier nearly reached over it, but came just short of the mark, and the detective could clearly see the angel's face tilted close to the earth as it lay in a fetal position. 

Its eyes were gently shut, dark eyelashes set against smooth skin. Its lips were slightly parted and Dan could make out the dark stubble that he'd once seen every day at the precinct. 

This angel wasn't a random creature that the detective had stumbled on at all... It was Lucifer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hey, a little later than usual but hopefully you like!
> 
> So yeah, devil/actually more like angel reveal for Dan, who knew? 
> 
> As always, kudos and *especially* comments are very much appreciated.  
> Thanks for your continued support on this fic!


	10. Weak

Lucifer Morningstar was dead. 

Chloe had gotten used to that reality, and as sad as it was, she almost accepted it now. Her grief had been palpable and soul-destroying, but the stages moved like seasons of the year, and she had finally reached acceptance. 

Of course, she missed him everyday, and she saw him in things that had very little relevance, but she was just about coping. Linda had helped her so much, both as a therapist and as a friend, brushing aside her own experiences of grief to help the detective come back to herself.

And for the most part, it had worked. Chloe was dealing with things in a far healthier way now, and she assured herself that he had been accepted back into Heaven and was finally reconciled with his Father. Life was chugging along in relative normality. 

That was, until the phone call. 

Dan had been frantic, clearly distressed on the other end of the line. He'd SEEN Lucifer's wings, and Lucifer was alive- injured, but alive, curled up in some clearing quite close to his grave site! 

Chloe had mulled the options over quickly in her head. Dan could be lying, insane or truthful, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out what was what. 

SHE knew the truth, of course, but Dan? No. 

If this was some cruel prank on his behalf to bring her false hope, he was a worse person than she had ever thought him. If he was insane (a seemingly plausible option considering how erratic he'd sounded), that didn't bode well either because Dan was regularly a very well put-together character. 

These options were flung away as soon as she heard him continue to speak. He sounded genuinely flabbergasted at his own discovery, and begged her to believe him. 

So she had. She'd hopped in her car, a confused Trixie thrown in the back, and drove as quickly as she could to Dan. Her heart raced all the way, two sides of her consciousness fighting for dominance. One told her she was insane to think that her lover was actually alive, and the other willed her to have faith and hope. 

She didn't fully accept either one- she wasn't dismissing the event as Dan being insane, nor was she going to fill herself with hope in case her ex really was a nutcase. All she could do was get there as fast as possible, clutching the wheel like it was her anchor and praying.

When she arrived near the grave, she told Trixie to wait in the car for a few minutes and practically sprinted towards the location that Dan had sent her. 

She passed the headstone on the way, and sure enough the coffin in the ground behind it was open. Her feet carried her desperately through brambles and bushes as she fought her way to get to him, eventually coming to the clearing and seeing the bundle on the floor. 

It was him. Cocooned within his wings like a scared creature, he was unconscious on the muddy grass next to where Dan was standing. She slid past her shocked ex and fell next to Lucifer, wiping stray hairs from his sweat-covered forehead and pleading with him to wake up. 

'Lucifer, it's Chloe' she sobbed, relief and joy that he was alive coursing through her body. 'You're okay, can you hear me?'

He didn't respond, but his presence was comfort enough for her. She kissed him desperately and revelled in the taste of him that had been distant from her for so long. 

Her heart soared as she understood that he really was there, hurt but alive, and hers! Her joyous tears wet her cheeks as she sniffled and laughed and stroked his hair. 

She turned to Dan, who was shifting on his feet nervously behind her.   
'We need to get him somewhere safe' she said, drying her eyes and observing the cuts on his bare chest and back. 

Her first thought was Lux, but some of the wounds were nasty and she knew nobody who had expertise in patching people up that would be willing to come to the penthouse at such short notice. 

No, it had to be the hospital. 

The only issue was his wings. 

'Lucifer, honey, I need you to get your wings in... Can you do that?'

Again, he didn't seem to hear her, not moving from his uncomfortable position on the cold earth. 

Chloe struggled for a moment to think of what to do, but her wits came to her quickly as she remembered the other time Lucifer had been majorly unwell. They had been in Lux after his poisoning, and Maze had revealed to her his angel wings... by hitting a certain spot in his back. 

She scrambled to her feet and came to his back, searching her mind for the area the demon had showed her which would do the trick. Her fist came to rest between his shoulder blades, and she muttered a quick apology to him before raising it up and bringing it back down to land harshly on his skin. 

Dan made a confused and slightly concerned noise in the background, but the action was clearly effective. His wings shot back into his body as if they had never been out, and she heaved a sigh of relief. 

Okay, now they could call an ambulance. 

She stood up and brushed herself off, looking at her ex. He was swaying on his feet, eyes wide and obviously still coming to terms with what the fuck he had just witnessed. His hands were shaking at his sides and when Chloe spoke to him, his eyes darted to her like prey facing off against a hungry predator. 

'Dan, I think you should go home.' she soothed, rubbing his arm. 

He wordlessly nodded and began to slowly walk away from the scene, turning back once or twice to check like he was expecting to see Lucifer just disappear. 

Once the other detective had left, she was once again by Lucifer's side, watching over him.

It was ironic really- so many stories had told of guardian angels, but never a guardian human guarding an angel. 

His scrapes and slashes were fairly extensive, and she found herself wondering how he'd obtained them. It didn't seem very likely that he'd got this beaten up from the thorny bushes on the trail, and some of the cuts were beginning to scab over, suggesting they'd been there for quite a while. 

Her stomach dropped when the thought of Hell flashed in her mind. It couldn't have been that, though, right? Lucifer was the KING of Hell, not a random inhabitant...unless things had changed, maybe?

Whatever the case, her partner was alive, and she couldn't be more grateful. 

She could never have guessed how broken he truly was, beneath the superficial damage to his now-mortal body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: A short chapter for now, but hope you enjoy all the same. 
> 
> I wonder what will happen when Lucifer eventually wakes up? 
> 
> (No, really... I have a few ideas but even I'm going to be surprised when I start writing the next chapter lol)


	11. Afraid

'He sustained some pretty serious injuries...' the Doctor announced, scanning through her notes. 'It was a car accident, you say?'

Chloe nodded, biting her tongue. A car crash had been the first excuse that came to mind, so she'd ran with it. She could tell it was likely a poor excuse, judging by the looks she got from various medical staff when she lied to them about it- not that that surprised her, Lucifer had been cut to pieces when she'd found him and there was little chance of a car accident having that effect. 

The woman in front of her glanced down, seeing through her fib, but returned to flicking through papers as though she were oblivious.  
'We were able to mostly patch him up, though, so you can see him if you'd like. He's been pumped full of pain meds, so there's no telling how 'with it' he'll be. It's best just to let him rest and hopefully he'll heal up soon.'

Yeah, Chloe thought, especially seeing as he's an angel with superhuman powers. 

She followed the Doctor through to a room and was instantly reminded of the last time she'd been in a hospital, in similar circumstances. Lucifer's poisoning had made her wary at the very least of medical establishments, but she knew in her heart that they would try their best to help him. As she came through the door, she was relieved to see her partner looking relatively normal, sound asleep amidst the constant beep of the heart monitor. Last time, he'd looked quite on the verge of death- a sight she wanted to erase from her mind entirely, especially after his recent *actual* passing. 

Sliding into a chair beside the bed, she sat observing him in silence, appreciating him. It had been 14 months since he'd bled out on her kitchen floor; 14 months of grief and heartache and longing. To have him here with her was the greatest gift anyone could have ever given.

There were a few minutes of blissful peace before Chloe heard the sound of the door behind her swing open, and felt a gust of cold air blow in. She turned to see Amenadiel, brow slick with sweat, standing in the doorway and looking at Lucifer like he was everything. He walked over to the bed in a trance-like state and stood over his brother, chest heaving.  
'Lucifer' he whispered. 'He's really alive.'

This last line was directed at the detective, who nodded softly and gestured for him to sit down. The exhausted angel complied, sinking into one of the hard plastic chairs on one side of the room and rubbing his face with his hands.

Amenadiel had taken Lucifer's passing hard. Everyone had, but the celestial in particular struggled to cope with another brother dying and leaving him alone on earth. Linda had comforted him as much as possible, but the whole 'he's in a better place' schtick never really worked for him. Amenadiel *knew* that his brother was barred from entry to the Silver City, and that left the desolate realm of Hell as Lucifer's likely eternal accommodation. That was one of the times the angel wished he was as ignorant of life as most humans, living in harmony with the hope that their deceased loved ones were enjoying paradise in Heaven. 

He'd become like a recluse, only realising after the fact that Lucifer had been his closest brother, and truest friend. They had quarrelled over the years, as was the norm with siblings, but they would always look out for each other. Amenadiel felt he had failed in that respect. Gabriel, his own flesh and blood, had murdered him in the detective's home, while Amenadiel had been none the wiser. Guilt had overcome him in the months following the death, and he had vowed to never fail in his duty to his loved ones again.

'When you told me he was alive, I thought you were delusional.' he finally confessed. 

Chloe chuckled lightly. 'I would've thought the same of you, honestly. I mean, 14 months and he finally decides to rear his handsome head again, it's not exactly easy to believe.'

'So, what did they say? Is he going to be okay?'

'They said they'd mostly fixed him up, he just needs rest now. They think he'll make a full recovery... he was pretty beat up, though.'

Amenadiel's expression darkened. 'I imagine his stay in Hell wasn't as its ruler, Chloe. He's probably been tortured within an inch of his celestial life.'

Chloe tried to ignore the anxiety creeping towards her and causing sweat to bead on her neck. 'How... psychologically damaged will he be?'

The angel shrugged, eyes downturned. 'Only one other person has escaped from Hell after being held captive there, and we both know how that turned out.'

The detective was confused for a moment. Then realisation sank in.  
'Malcolm' she breathed. 

Looking towards her peaceful partner, she couldn't imagine him waking up and suffering such an extreme personality change. What if Hell had permanently scarred him- now mentally as well as physically? She couldn't bear the thought of more nightmares like the one she'd witnessed at his penthouse that one time. 

As the scenarios whirling around her head reached fever pitch, she saw Lucifer stir. He groaned slightly and tried to shift onto his side, weakness setting in before he could. She looked over at his brother, who was now perched on the edge of his seat, then turned her attention back to him. Chloe didn't want to risk scaring him, so she simply tried to reassure him as he woke up. 

'Hey, Lucifer. It's me. You're okay.'

His beautiful brown eyes were open, the first time she'd seen them since the light had faded out of them 14 months ago. He groggily surveyed his surroundings and slowly found Chloe in the haze. 

******************************************************************************************

The muffled sound of voices brought him around like it had done before. Their speech was distorted, the words crackling like an old radio in the white noise of his head. He tried to move, to speak, but found only a quiet guttural noise caught in the back of his throat. 

One of the voices was trying to talk to him, but he couldn't make out what it was saying. His name floated in the void for a few seconds- the voice must have mentioned it- but the language was garbled and unrecognisable. It was nice. It felt like.... home. In the static of his mind, he searched for the source of the noise and tried even more desperately to pull himself toward it. 

He managed to open his eyes, met with a bright light above him. Had he finally been allowed back in? Was Father waiting with apologies and gifts for his prodigal son after their long absence from one another?

No. This was a more artificial light. Lucifer knew the difference, having created the natural light of the universe, and this was electric. Wrong. 

His vision was a blur that offered only blobs when all he wanted was clarity. Moving his eyes too fast led to a near-unbearable surge of nausea, so he opted to try it slowly for now. Finally, he saw a slightly familiar blob. It wasn't the shape of the blob, no, rather the energy it exuded. This was a good blob, a kind blob, a blob he knew but couldn't quite remember. It was a female. She swam in front of him and he considered closing his eyes again to stop the disorientation, but pressed on. 

Her.

She was the feeling of petals in a flowering field, the smell of coffee on a winter's morning, a warm hug scented with indulgent perfume. She radiated kindness with every motion and he knew within him the taste of her. Her name was still lost in the void of half-consciousness, but there was no need for that when her attributes flowed so freely towards him and told him everything he wanted to know about her.

'It's Chloe, Lucifer. Remember me?'

No. No no no no no no no, she couldn't be here. She HATED him. Loathed him so much and was glad for his death, why would she of all people be here?

Maybe she wanted to hurt him again. He was weak. She had plenty of opportunity to hurt him. 

He didn't know where he was or what kind of loop was awaiting him, but Lucifer felt fear. 

Chloe reached a hand towards his face, her touch seemingly gentle. Was this another heartless trick- making him believe she cared for him, followed by a swift slap? He should just accept it. He deserved it. As it came closer to his cheek, his senses kicked in and he pulled back in a sharp motion, every muscle inside him screaming for him to run. But he couldn't. So he hid.

************************************************************

She watched him try to reconfigure himself and get to grips with where he was, giving him space so as not to startle him. He'd woken up but he didn't seem too much more lucid than when he'd been asleep. When she spoke, though, everything in him seemed to relax, and so did she. Perhaps she had been too quick to assume that Hell would've changed his perception of her? 

So, she extended a conciliatory hand towards his face in a gentle gesture. A small movement, so as not to cause alarm, but it was as if she was holding a knife to his throat. 

He immediately tensed as she got closer, and jerked away from her, eyes wide and prey-like. She was terrified for an instant that he would fight back, try to hurt her. He didn't, of course. He'd told her many times before that he wouldn't hurt her, and he was a man of his word: even when he was so scared. Instead, she looked on in horror as he shot underneath the covers and pulled them up over himself in a futile attempt to shield himself from what he thought would be an onslaught of attacks. Instantly, he wasn't the devil or an angel or even the suave gentleman she'd seen in him so many times- this was Lucifer in his most childlike and petrified state, and it broke her heart. 

He was scared of her. How could her own partner be so scared of her?

'Lucifer' she tried, desperate. 'It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I'd never hurt you.'

She wanted to touch him, to play with his hair until he drifted on again, safe with the knowledge that she would guard him. But his spiking heart rate- represented by the increasing frequency of the beeps of the machine beside him- told her that physical contact was the last thing he needed. 

'Please, Lucifer, I promise you that I could never think of harming you. You're not in Hell anymore.'

Maybe the mention of Hell had been too much, because the beeps got faster and faster, and were now joined by a chorus of other warning alarms that were clearly indicative of something wrong. A nurse burst through the door, a colleague with a trolley on her tail, and ran to Lucifer's bedside where he was still trying to hide from Chloe. She gave the detective a look ('what the heck happened?') and knelt down beside the bed. 

Amenadiel was now also standing, a worried look tracing his features. 

The nurse looked at both Chloe and Amenadiel before speaking. 'He needs to calm down, his heart rate is far too high and it looks like he's hyperventilating. What happened?'

The detective spoke up, stammering. 'I-I was talking to him, then I tried to touch him and he- he completely freaked out.'

Amenadiel jumped in shortly after. 'Why's this happening to him?'

The nurse observed both of them, then looked back up at the monitor. 'It looks to me like he's having a panic attack.' She spoke softly to Lucifer, still under the covers. 'Hey, it's alright. My name's Molly and I'm a nurse, okay? I see you're not doing too good right now, and I can help, but you have to help me back. I can give you some medicine which'll make you feel better, but you've got to take some deep breaths for me. You got that?'

There was no response, but hearing a voice that he didn't know seemed to help far more than hearing one he did. Slowly but surely over a few minutes, the nurse offering gentle support, the beeps of the monitors became sparser again. They were still faster than normal, but it was a start.  
'That's it' she encouraged, reaching carefully towards the covers. 'Would you mind giving me your arm, Mr Morningstar? I can give you something that'll calm your nerves a little. It might make you a little sleepy, but it'll do the trick alright.' 

A hesitant arm peeked from under the sheets, and the nurse took it kindly. She ushered for her colleague to pass her something, and she received a small syringe in response. Smoothly, she rubbed a spot on his arm and easily slipped the needle in.  
'There you are' she said quietly. 'It'll kick in soon.'

After tucking the arm back beneath the covers, she turned to Chloe. 'This'll keep him calm for a while, but I'd try to avoid causing any more panic, though I know its inadvertent. I'm really sorry, and I know this is hard to hear, but it might be easier for him if you leave for a while- at least until he's woken up properly and can recognise you. Sometimes after traumatic events, people get temporary amnesia, so that could be the issue? Hopefully you understand.'

The nurse touched her arm in a reassuring manner, and the detective nodded. She knew that it wasn't amnesia that was the problem, but, painfully, the opposite. Despite that, she understood that the nurse's advice was still relevant. Lucifer wasn't ready to face her yet, and her best chance of helping him was to leave him- for now.

So she left the room with a pit at the bottom of her stomach, staring at the huddled figure in the bed, confused and frightened... of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: AAAGGHHHHHHHHHH this hurts. Sorry :(


	12. Don't hurt me

When Chloe had left the hospital, Amenadiel rounded on his brother. He was frustrated and confused, but he used his best 'let's just all stay calm and work this out gently' voice when speaking to Lucifer.

'What's going on, brother?' he asked the quivering lump under the covers. When he was met with no response, he poked the fabric lightly.

Lucifer's face emerged from underneath, still wide-eyed, but when he saw Amenadiel he seemed to calm. He breathed shakily and turned away. His brother waited for him to speak, but he stayed eerily quiet, as if uttering a single word would send him straight back to the agonising torture he'd been enduring for so long. 

'Talk to me, please' Amenadiel continued. 'What happened to you down there?'

The angel in the bed merely continued avoiding eye contact, staring at the wall blankly. 

'Please, Lucifer. We can help you. But we don't know how to help if you won't tell us anything.'

No response. 

Amenadiel was afraid. His brother was always so talkative and cheery, but now he seemed to be on the verge of a breakdown. Or in the middle of one. Chloe's presence had always been a beacon of joy for Lucifer, except now her being in the hospital room so close to him had spooked him more than anything. 

'Why were you so afraid of Chloe? Does she have something to do with this?'

At the mention of the name, Lucifer tensed and the monitor began to beep more rapidly again. Not a good sign, his brother supposed. 

'Luci, it's okay' Amenadiel soothed. 'She's not here right now, I just wanted to know where she fits into this mess.'

At the deafening silence that ensued, he sunk back into the chair and rubbed his temples. Clearly Lucifer wasn't in the mood for a chat, and until he was there was nothing the celestial could do except wait patiently. Something in Hell had broken Lucifer, something to do with Chloe. And Amenadiel needed to find out what.

******************  
Chloe endured the car ride like a coiled spring, ready to burst into tears at any moment. Lucifer had been so scared, and she was the cause. Her hands were slick with sweat as she gripped the steering wheel, huffing deep breaths and steering the car closer to her destination. 

After a few minutes of driving, she turned the engine off and stepped out into the cool air. Her footsteps were pronounced and rushed every step of the way towards the door, and when she arrived she rapped hard. 

The doctor appeared after a few moments, perplexed.   
'Chloe, I wasn't expecting to see you... Come in, come in.' She gestured with her hand for the detective to enter, and closed the door behind her. 

The therapist's office was neat and tidy as always, everything in its place. Nothing about the environment suggested the significance of it- a place where the Devil himself had tapped in to his reflective side and benefitted from therapy. Linda had been such a help to Lucifer over the years, but today it was Chloe who needed her help. 

She kept her emotions in as far as the couch. When she collapsed into it, exhausted, it all came flooding out in choking tears and desperate gasps for breath. 

Linda let her cry for a moment, then spoke up. Her tone was comforting and soft, like she was walking on eggshells.  
'What happened?'

'He-he's scared of me, Linda' she sobbed. 'I tried to touch him in the hospital and he completely panicked, like he thought I was g-going to hurt him.'

'I can't imagine how that made you feel, Chloe. I'm sorry.'

Chloe sniffed and took a deep breath in. 'I hadn't seen him in so long, and then he's back from the dead suddenly and- and then I can't even touch him' she rambled. 'I don't know what's wrong with him.'

Linda considered. 'Perhaps something happened to him in Hell. And you were involved somehow?'

Chloe looked up, eyes red. 'What do you mean?'

'Lucifer's told me about Hell a few times, and from what I've gathered demons can take on the form of people you know as a form of torture. Perhaps that's what happened? Maybe the demons conjured a version of you and hurt him... As you'

'He was the Lord of Hell, though, surely he would have known that it wasn't actually me?' 

'I'm sure he did know... But I also know that time moves differently in Hell. It was 14 months for us, but likely an eternity for him, trapped down there. After a while, you... Lose sight of reality, I suppose.'

Chloe wiped her nose with a tissue. 'How do we fix him, then? He won't let me get near him.'

'It's not going to be easy' the doctor warned. 'But you have to give him some space, and let him trust you again. He's only been here a few hours, really, it's going to take a while for him to readjust.'

She took the detective's hands in hers.

'Believe me, Chloe, he'll come to his senses soon. He loves you, and a love like yours means that you can withstand this trauma. Have faith.'

The phrase made Chloe bark out a laugh, but it was emotionless. Nevertheless, she assured herself she was going to help Lucifer recover.   
'Thank you, Linda' she expressed as she stood up from the sofa. 'I'll try my best.'

************************

When Lucifer finally spoke after minutes of relative silence, his voice was low. 

He murmured something as he stared at the wall, but it was too quiet for even Amenadiel to hear. The angel inched closer on his chair and urged his brother to speak again.   
'What was that, Lucifer? I didn't hear you.'

Lucifer was still for a few painful seconds, then he rolled over slowly to look at Amenadiel.   
'She hurt me.'  
His expression was one of grief and betrayal. The sparkle in his eyes was totally gone, the last embers of burgeoning hope fizzled out. 

'Chloe?' Amenadiel questioned. 'In Hell?'

His brother's face was a blank slate, revealing nothing.   
'I don't know' he eventually whispered. 

'You don't know whether it was Chloe, or whether it was in Hell?'

Nothing. 

'Luci?'

Lucifer rolled quietly back over to face the wall again. 

************************

The weeks after Lucifer's release from hospital were agonising for Chloe. She wanted nothing more than to speed over to Lux and wrap him in a hug, to feel him properly again after the months they'd spent apart. But she couldn't. Linda had told her he would need space, so she was adhering to the rules as best as she could. 

Unsurprisingly, Dan was nowhere to be seen in the precinct either. She'd made up some excuse for him about an illness, and had prayed that nobody would try to check up on him and find out that he was actually dealing with the ramifications of discovering his coworker was the devil. 

She was left to deal with her grief alongside Ella, the only other person in the precinct she knew she could trust. The forensic scientist already knew about Lucifer, so Chloe could easily talk to her about the problems she was now facing with him. 

'Linda's right' she said, after Chloe had filled her in. 'He'll get back to himself eventually, he just needs time. Trust me.'

'He's literally been through Hell, though, Ella. Forgive me if I'm not brimming with hope after all this.'

'That's the problem!' the brunette announced, taking Chloe by the shoulders. 'He's lost hope, probably, so you have to give it to him!'

Chloe's eyebrow quirked up as she looked back at her. 'And how am I meant to do that if I'm also giving him space?'

'Well, maybe you should try giving him a little less space? I don't know, Chlo, just do your thing! He loves you and you just have to remind him who the real you is, not the weird-ass emotionally and physically abusive Hell loop version.'

The detective sighed. 'You really think me just turning up to his place is gonna fix things?'

'Maybe not *fix* them, but it's worth a shot, right?'

So now, Chloe was on her way to her partner's penthouse, biting her fingernails and trying to hold onto her lunch. This was probably the most stupid idea she'd ever followed through on, but she HAD to see him. She had to care for her own wellbeing as well as his, and she knew that if she didn't get to look at that handsome face soon she would melt into a puddle that nobody would be able to clean up. And she didn't want that. 

The bodyguard standing outside Lux looked at her with a surprised expression when she turned up in front of him.   
'Boss isn't doing too good right now.' he grunted. 'Maybe it's best if you leave.'

Chloe stood her ground. 'What's wrong with him? I need to see him, maybe I can help.'

He shook his head. 'He ain't spoken a word since he got back, I doubt he'll be good company. Even for you.'

He hadn't said anything since he returned? It was worse than she had believed. He needed her.

'Please, Sir, I have to get in to see him. If he doesn't want me there, I'll leave, but I have to try.'

The gruff man sighed, but stood aside anyway. 'Go on, then. If he kills me for this, it's your fault.'

The detective shot him a grateful smile and entered the club. 

The first thing she noticed was its emptiness. Even on weekdays, Lux was always chock-full of drunken party-goers and exotic dancers. Now, it was deserted. It appeared that nobody had been in since the impromptu evacuation, judging by the numerous glasses in varying degrees of fullness and the litany of litter discarded across countertops and floor alike. 

He must be in a really bad way to leave it like this, Chloe mused with a pit in her stomach. Lux was, like his corvette, his pride and joy- to leave it in such disarray would have been unthinkable for the old Lucifer. 

She walked through the abandoned club, her shoes clicking on the floor loud enough to hear clearly due to the lack of guests. Stepping inside the elevator and pressing the button for his penthouse, she closed her eyes and swallowed the lump in her throat. 

A tinny 'ding' announced her arrival after a few stomach-churning seconds of ascending and she tentatively entered his apartment. 

There was no sign of him at first in the silent space. 

She had hoped to find him sat at his piano, fingers running over the ivory keys like he usually did when his emotions got the better of him. At least then, she would've known he wasn't too far gone to play. 

Instead, his piano had been left untouched since his death. Dust collected on top of it and the same shot glass that had been resting on it for 14 months still remained. 

His bedroom, too, was empty, the sheets crinkled and the duvet pulled out slightly. Chloe realised, with a gulp, that his bed had not been touched since he'd passed, either. He hadn't been sleeping there. 

She explored the desolate apartment, hope draining.   
Where could he be?

Her eyes scanned her surroundings, again, and alighted finally on the balcony. 

There he stood, leaning against it, gazing up at the stars. He was wearing a rumpled shirt and she could see that his hair was messy. He looked generally unkempt. It was no wonder that she hadn't spotted him at first, because he didn't move from his position and he made no sound either. 

She dared not touch him; she'd learned from that mistake in the hospital. It needed to be a more calculated and gentle approach. 

The detective cleared her throat. He didn't move. The only indication that he'd heard her at all was the tensing of his muscles beneath his shirt as she moved slowly closer. 

'It's Chloe' she greeted, offering a figurative olive branch. 'I know you probably don't want to see me but I needed to see you. I don't know exactly what happened to you in Hell, but I do know that this isn't you and I want to help.'

She paused. 'I've missed you so much, Lucifer. So much.' 

Now, she was only a metre away from him, and she resisted the urge to pull him into a hug. Instead, she walked carefully towards the railing and stood next to him, giving him enough space to move if he wanted to. 

She watched him observe the stars, unreadable as always. 

'I heard you haven't spoken since you got back. I understand. You've been through a lot and I'm sorry. I'm just so glad you're back.'

He looked over to her for the first time, and she saw that there was emotion in his eyes- not total terror of her, no, but a sort of tired pleading.   
'Please don't hurt me.' His request was thready and small, a far cry from the Lucifer she knew. This was not an order, but an exhausted appeal- 'please let me go'.

She blinked back tears. 'I would never, Lucifer. I don't know what that Hell version of me did, but the real me would never ever lay a hand on you.'

He swallowed. 'I don't know where I am anymore.' The confession was tinged with fear, and his voice cracked as he spoke. 

A tear rolled down his cheek, and he made no effort to wipe it away.

She planted her hand on his shoulder, and though he flinched, he let it stay there. 

'You're back on Earth' she assured him. 'This isn't Hell, I promise you.'

He nodded a little, but let his gaze fall back to the stars. He was gone again.


	13. Trixie to the rescue

Trixie Espinoza was an urchin of many talents. She could fit three orbeez up her nose (the last time she checked, anyway) and her belting skills when it came to Disney movies were unmatched. She was also a mastermind at trickery, a skill that had only burgeoned under Lucifer's mischievous guidance. Perhaps her best skill, however, was one that most people knew her for- her ability to melt the hearts of everyone she encountered. This ability was so effective, in fact, that it worked on the Devil himself! 

Lucifer had denied his love for the 'small human' at first, unsure of how to interact with a being comprised of snot and emotions. This soon changed, however, and it wasn't long before he only grumbled the occasional complaint at Trixie snuggling up next to him on the sofa and endured her tight hugs with ease. 

He was extremely fond of her, and he'd said himself that he would do anything to protect her. 

But now, it was the urchin's job to help him. 

Her mother hadn't explicitly mentioned that Lucifer was very withdrawn in the conversation with her daughter about his resurrection, but Trixie was smart enough to infer it. When Chloe arrived back at the apartment after going to see him, she seemed a little despondent. 

Trixie didn't know exactly what had happened at the penthouse, but she was determined that she could help Lucifer in his time of need just as he had helped her so many times before. So, as her mother retreated to her bed that evening, assuming Trixie was fast asleep, she grabbed her prepared backpack from underneath her bed, got dressed, and left for Lux.

LA was scary at night for a young girl who'd rarely traversed it alone, but she knew the way to the club like she knew every song in Frozen- very, very, *very* well. She received a few concerned looks from drivers in their cars who were unsurprisingly worried about such a tiny child walking the streets of Los Angeles by herself late. Her solution was a simple one- flash them one of her award-winning cute smiles, and they'd be on their way despite their anxiety. 

The outside of Lux, usually filled with patrons ready to party, was deserted, like every other night since Lucifer's return. The bodyguard was still alert by the door, though, which presented a slight issue for the child, but not too much. She could wrap ANYONE around her finger, even burly and scary-looking bouncers.

'Excuse me, Sir' she chirped, clutching her backpack with both hands on the straps. 'My name's Trixie, and I've come to see Lucifer.'

The towering man looked down at her, bemused. 'And why have you come to see the boss, then? You looking for a deal, sweetheart? A bit too young, even for him.'

She grinned at him. 'Nope! I'm his friend. My Mommy likes him a lot and I know he's feeling sad, so I want to come in and make him better.'

The bouncer raised an eyebrow at that, and chuckled. 'I don't know whether you'll be able to cheer him up. He's not very talkative right now.'

Trixie blinked her best puppy dog eyes at him, and jutted out her lower lip just how Lucifer had taught her when he was telling her how to get what she wanted.   
'Please, Mr Bodyguard? I'll be no trouble.'

She could see his defences slipping, and took advantage of it (another of Lucifer's stellar tips).  
'I brought him snacks, but you can have one too if you let me in!' 

Reaching inside her small pink backpack, she retrieved a small chocolate bar, and extended it towards him with a small hand. He observed the treat, and Trixie could tell almost instantly that she had succeeded.

'Alright then, kid.' he sighed, accepting the chocolate. 'You can enter- but only cos you're the detective's daughter, capiche?'

She nodded in response and skipped past him into the club and towards the elevator. Her tiny fingers struggled to reach the button, but she eventually managed, and then stood back and allowed a smug look to settle on her little face for her excellent trickery. Of course it had succeeded- Lucifer was her teacher, so she had learned from the best...

When the 'ding' noise finally announced the elevator's arrival and the doors popped open, Trixie confidently stepped inside. She surveyed the scene and soon spotted him- far faster than her mother had- leaning against the balcony railing staring out into space. 

Trixie was not entirely educated in the etiquette of treating unstable people, but that was a trait both she and Lucifer shared, so she knew her cluelessness wouldn't upset him too much. She barrelled into him, arms locking around his waist with her usual greeting on her lips- 'LUCIFER!!'

He flinched at her touch, snapping his gaze away from the stars to see her attaching herself to him. Instead of pulling away, seeing Trixie triggered something else in him other than fear. He looked down at her, blinking softly, and smiled.

'Beatrice' he greeted. 

And in that moment, he knew that he wasn't in Hell. Because there had been many thousands of loops in his time there, but never had Trixie turned up. The demons had tried to disguise themselves as her a few times, but it had never worked- she'd always ended up just slightly...wrong. 

This was her, whole-heartedly and mercilessly her, and she was a welcome sight for him because she signified it. 

Freedom. 

Real life. 

Not. Hell. 

He swept her up in his arms and held her in a desperate embrace, holding the back of her head and feeling hot tears on his cheeks. She was his lighthouse, and he was a ship that had been lost at sea for months. 

She giggled as he whirled her round, pleasantly surprised by how easy it had been to cheer him up. 

When he finally let her down onto the floor, she noticed that he had been crying and tilted her head quizzically, another gesture that her and Lucifer had in common.   
'You're crying' she observed, reaching out a petite hand to wipe away the tears on his cheek. 'Are you sad?'

The gentle action only made him sob harder, but he smiled as he did so to assure her that he wasn't upset.   
'Not sad, Beatrice' he choked with a watery grin. 'Happy. Very happy that you're here.'

She seemed satisfied by this, flashing him another toothy grin and removing her backpack. 'I brought snacks!'

********************

They were huddled on the sofa in his penthouse, surrounded by chocolate wrappers. Trixie was sipping on a diet coke, a staple of hers that Lucifer had known about and kept a small stash of for her visits.   
'Why were you sad, Lucifer?' she asked him, little eyes inquisitive.

He paused, considering what to say. 'Well, you know how I say I'm the devil?'

She nodded. 'Yeah, and you never lie!'

'So what, you just... Believe me?'  
Getting a human to believe was never something that came easy to Lucifer, but apparently Trixie didn't need convincing. 

'Maze showed me her face on Halloween a few years ago' she mentioned nonchalantly. 'So I kind of figured out the rest was true as well.'

He turned to her, confused. 'And you're not... Scared of me?'

She shook her head happily. 'Of course not! Why would I be?'

The question lingered in the air. 'I suppose that's fair...'

Then, realisation hit him. 'Does your mother know you're here, Beatrice?'

The young girl squirmed uncomfortably and began to examine the contents of the coke can. 

'I'll take that as a no, then' he assumed, with a wry laugh. 'I need to get you home before she starts worrying. I'd love for you to stay but you know what your mother's like.'

Trixie laughed, a sound so sweet that it made his heart melt all over again. 'Yeah, you're right. Maybe you can talk to Mommy too?'

The memories of hell loop Chloe torturing him were hard to shake, and he fought off the restricting feeling taking over his chest. He was at home, on earth. She would never hurt him.   
'Yes... I'll speak to her, urchin.'

She craned her neck up at him. 'Promise?'

He chuckled. 'I promise. My word is my bond, after all.'

To show his deal, he shook her hand properly, then disentangled himself from her and stood up.   
'Come on, then. Your mother will go ballistic if she finds out you snuck out by yourself.'

'Does that mean I get to ride in your car?'

'...Yes.'

'SWEET!'

She jumped up and raced towards the elevator, dragging him along behind her. Refusing to let go even as they were standing in it, she hopped up and down excitedly at the thought of a car ride in the corvette. The innocence of it was amusing to Lucifer. 

The drive over was freeing, the cool LA air rushing through his hair as they sped through the streets, bathed in a golden hue from the streetlights. 

'I can't believe you walked all the way over to my place alone!' he shouted over the sound of the wind in his ears. 

'I know the way!' she yelled back, grinning slyly. 

Soon, they had reached the parking lot. Lucifer got out of the car along with Trixie, his heart beating hard in his chest. He didn't know why he was so worried- perhaps it was because this was the first proper reunion they'd had, or maybe it was the deep-rooted fear he couldn't shift because of hell loop Chloe?

Whatever it was, Trixie had no patience for it, and she tugged him along behind her rather than let him loiter by the car.   
She ran up the steps and pressed the buzzer before stepping back and taking Lucifer's sweaty hand in hers again. 

When the door opened and a bleary-eyed Chloe opened, he felt his heart soar and stomach drop simultaneously. She saw Trixie properly first, and did a double take behind her as if to confirm that her daughter was out of bed and at the door, then her eyes fell on Lucifer, holding her daughter's hand.

'Sorry about this' he apologised in a hushed tone. 'Little miscreant walked all the way to Lux.'

He expected her to scowl at him.

He expected her to grab Trixie and pull her inside, filled with loathing.

He expected her to slap him like she had in his loop so many times. 

He did not expect her to hug him. 

She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed him tightly as if he might disappear without her touch, and he could feel the shoulder of his suit jacket getting moister as she cried into him. 

When she finally pulled away, she looked him up and down with a sniff. 'You're okay? You're not scared of me?'

He smiled weakly at her, tears threatening to bloom at his eyes too. 'No' he croaked. 'Trixie... Showed me that I'm not in Hell anymore.'

'I've missed you so much, Lucifer' she confessed, still gripping the lapels of his jacket. 

He cleared his throat, trying not to get emotional in front of the child for the second time. 'And I've missed you, as well, Chloe. Ever so much.'

'You're really not afraid that I'll hurt you? I-I mean, of course I wouldn't, I just- after the hospital, I thought maybe y-'

He severed her doubts in a single second as he cut her off with a kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I was feeling generous, so two chapters in one night I guess!
> 
> Really wanted to write this one for a while, too much pain in previous chapters to just leave it for tomorrow. As always, hope you enjoy- comments appreciated!


	14. Cain's reward

When she woke up in the morning, Chloe was overjoyed to find Lucifer next to her. The warmth radiating from him was enough to make up for all of the days they'd spent apart, and she drank up his presence like she was scared he'd be gone again. 

She spent a few minutes just admiring his features as the sun came up. His hair seemed a little longer than it had been when he passed, and the extra length was all curls that tumbled over his forehead having not been tamed yet. The sound of his soft snores was like music to her ears.

After a minute or so, he opened his eyes lightly to see her gazing at him with adoration.   
'Perv' he quipped, his voice a mere rasp having just woken up. 

As she giggled like a bloody schoolgirl, he rewarded her with a smile, a chuckle escaping through his teeth. He cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her gently.

'I'm sorry it took so long for me to properly...come back.' he murmured, eyes downcast. 

'Lucifer, there's no need to apologise. Really. I can't imagine what you had to deal with down there, and I'm just glad you managed to get back on track. I love you, you know.'

His reaction was the same as always, melting her heart with its bashfulness. He still blinked slowly at her every time she said it, Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to determine how anyone could possibly love him.   
'I love you too, Chloe. Very much.' 

And he meant it. 

They got up and he whipped her and Trixie up a quick breakfast while she pondered over what to do next. Once her daughter had retreated back to her room, she approached Lucifer about the problem they needed to deal with.  
'So...Pierce- I mean, Cain- what are we going to do about him? We have to take him down, right?'

When he looked back at her, though his eyes remained their usual brown, she could sense the flames residing within them. 'Yes.' he affirmed. 'Definitely. I just don't want you to get hurt in the process, Detective.'

She blushed at his sweetness before her protective instincts kicked in. 'I don't want you to get hurt either, Lucifer, so let's do this together. Please.'

He knew that his power would probably be more than adequate to deal with the ass, but Chloe's insistence was his weakness and he submitted.   
'Fine. But we need to do this properly. Cain's immortality means that we need one of Maze's blades to actually damage him. We'll need to try and weasel one out of her, then perhaps we can do it. It won't be easy, though, she's-'

Chloe cut him off, dangling the blade in front of him that she'd found over on the nearby counter. 'One of these blades? Maze is more careless than you think.'

Lucifer huffed, clearly irritated that his prime demon bodyguard didn't take too much pride in storing her weapons, but realisation sunk in that he wouldn't have to confront her. Good. That's one less problem.

'I normally like to have a plan for these kind of things.' Lucifer explained, shaking his head. 'But this time I just want to get it over with as quickly as possible.'

'Well then, let's go!' Chloe offered. 'We both know how much of a control freak I can be sometimes, but Cain needs to go before he tries to latch onto someone else.'

Lucifer nodded, swallowing. 'Yes, well, it's also worth noting that the bugger actually wanted to die until recently, so I won't feel too bad about putting him in the ground. Plus, obviously, he's a dick... What about the LAPD, though? They still think he's just the Lieutenant.'

Chloe considered for a moment. That was a fair point. They could hardly just waltz in and murder the guy; they'd get caught quickly enough. This had to be calculated, precise and...  
'What if we pretended to go over there to get a confession out of him? I'm sure we can get him to admit that he's the Sinnerman, he knows we know now. If we get it recorded, then stop recording, we can say that Pierce got violent when we tried to get him to turn himself in... It's self defence.'

Lucifer watched her think on the spot, a grin creeping across his face. 'Well played, Detective!'

**************************************  
She stood at the door of Pierce's apartment next to Lucifer, heart thumping. This was her one chance to end things, and it had to go right. It HAD to. 

The door latch unlocked, and seconds later HIS face was poking through.   
'Chloe? I thought you were mad at me?'

Lucifer interrupted him. 'We need to talk, Pierce. Now.'

She couldn't see much of Cain's face except those blue eyes she'd nearly fell in love with, but she could clearly see the fear sink in.   
'Lucifer? I- I thought you were-'

'Dead? Yes. I'm back now, though, thanks to my brother. Michael. Not Gabriel. I'm sure you of all people know that Gabriel isn't exactly the sweetest brother.'

Lucifer pushed open the door and Cain scrambled to get back, failing.   
'See, we know about who you are, Marcus. Your exploits as the Sinnerman have been uncovered.'

Cain sighed, relief flooding him. 'That's what this is about? You're confronting me about that? Well, yes, I knew you'd find out about it eventually. I just didn't figure so soon. Is that all?'

'That's all we need, yes.' Lucifer smirked, clicking the recorder in his pocket to 'off'. 'I'm afraid we're not quite done with you, yet, though. You took advantage of Chloe's love for you, and you used my own brother to murder me in the same apartment as the detective and her offspring. Now, you're going to pay for that mistake.'

It appeared that Cain's instincts kicked in, because he tried to throw a punch. Lucifer defended against it, sighing wearily. 'That all you've got, Cain? Pity. I thought you were stronger.'

He picked the man up by his neck and threw him like a ragdoll to the ground, then walked over and began leaning over him until their faces were inches apart. 

'You. Hurt. Her.' 

'And... She deserved it... Stupid bitch.' Cain spat, blood dripping from his nose. 

'YOU WILL NOT TALK ABOUT HER IN THAT WAY!' Lucifer roared, eyes flaring red. 'YOU HURT HER AND YOU HURT TRIXIE, AND YOU WILL BE PUNISHED ACCORDINGLY.'

All of a sudden, Cain sprang from under Lucifer's grip and made a beeline for Chloe.   
'If I'm going down, she's going down with me.'

Lucifer's breath hitched. Not Chloe. He couldn't let him hurt Chloe. 

'NO!' 

He was on the man before Cain had a chance to put his hands on Chloe, wrestling with him for dominance. The two men sparred, and Lucifer desperately held onto the dagger he had drawn from his pocket. 

The blue-eyed immortal managed to wrap his fingers around Lucifer's throat, slamming him against the wall as he choked for air. Chloe could do nothing but yell out. 

His vision began to blur, and he could faintly hear her desperate cries, though they sounded an eternity away. His quickly-numbing fingers reached in slow motion for the blade that was now resting in his pocket. 

Cain was taunting. Lucifer couldn't hear the words, but he was. 

No other thoughts.

Just the dagger.

Must. Get. The dagger. 

The circulation in his hand was quickly weakening, but he managed to grasp the hellblade with cold fingers. 

His hands don't feel like his own as he watches the blurry image of one of them shakily hover next to Cain's waist, clutching the blade. Luckily, the immortal hadn't noticed- too caught up in his revelry to see the quickly encroaching Death. 

Blackness took over the remaining spots in the devil's vision. 

Not before he'd plunged the dagger into Cain's side.


	15. Michael's reward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: ITS GABRIEL PUNISHENT TIME BABEY WOOOOOOOOOOO!
> 
> BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO WRITING THIS BIT FOR SOME TIME. 
> 
> ENJOY.

The demons noticed, of course, that Lucifer was not Lucifer. After all, they'd been ruled by him for millennia- the ruse was up. 

That didn't stop them from delighting in Michael's torture, though. Not at all. They simply considered him their replacement subject, and did with him as they desired, which was mostly bloody games. Not bloody in the sense that Lucifer used the word, but the traditional meaning. The crimson red stuff that flows through beings, and was now flowing OUT of Michael's many wounds. 

He took their punishment silently, reminding himself how he had stood and watched as Lucifer was cast out. He would not pity himself, not when this was the very hellhole he had let his own flesh and blood be exiled to. 

*********************  
God had commanded, and so it was done. 

Gabriel was trapped in chains up in Heaven until the Almighty knew what was to be done with him. Killing brethren was not a sin to be taken lightly- the only exception being that of Uriel. God had forgiven His son easily for that grievance, since it was a requirement and not merely a twisted fantasy brought to life. 

The crimes of the angel bound by celestial metal were grievous. Lucifer had not deserved it. 

As Lucifer came to mind, so did his twin brother, Michael, who had endeavoured to save the devil and had not returned. 

God conjured a looking glass and gazed into it, expecting a million scenarios. One even He hadn't dared imagine. 

The angel was lying, battered and bruised, against the wall of one of Hell's cells. Blood matted his hair and trickled through the lustrous grey feathers on his back. His breaths were uneven and full of pain, pain that Michael had never before experienced, living as a celestial. But Hell was different. Celestials were reduced to nothing in the confines of this place. 

The Father watched his son writhe in agony, and felt strange. It was a feeling He had often had in the past, a tightening in His chest that made it hard to breathe or think. It had been there when Lucifer had been cast down, as God had watched His favourite son tumble through the clouds away from the Silver City. 

His eyes prickled with a newfound emotion, and he turned away from the imprisoned angel to wipe away a glistening bead of water. He was crying? 

Confused as He was, God knew the solution to the problem before Him. Michael need not suffer anymore. 

He had the perfect punishment for Gabriel in mind. 

*************************  
Michael was dead. Or maybe he wasn't? He didn't know anymore. 

He was agony and darkness. Voices came and went, blurred and scarred faces blotted his vision, but the pain was a constant reminder of his situation. 

They preyed on his guilt, 24/7. 

'You let him fall' they whispered in his bleeding ear. 

'You stood by and watched.'

'You deserve this.'

He did deserve it. He deserved all that he got. 

He let his brother down. 

Time moved differently in Hell, that was for sure. With no sun or moon to count the hours by, he was left to lie in a pool of his own bodily fluids in a state of half-awareness. 

The demons had prodded him and discarded him like a broken plaything, finding his weak spots and poking them by way of torture devices until he was sure he was no longer breathing. Then, they'd bring him back, as was their cruel game, and repeat the process- inviting him to eat, as was the desire of his desperate body, then pummelling him in the stomach until he was rid of whatever he'd consumed. 

By the time the Light came, Michael could not move for pain. 

It seemed a mere spark at first, lost in the palette of red, black and grey that filled his consciousness. It bloomed slowly, though, until he could feel it near him, it's presence wrapping around him and causing a warm feeling to settle within his discomfited stomach. 

The Voice came next. 

'BE GONE, YOU HELLBEASTS. LEAVE HIM.' It boomed, and the demons obeyed. They had no other choice in the shadow of such power. 

Then the Voice became a physical touch, and it removed the wounds on Michael's brittle body and made him anew. All remnants of the demons' doing was gone, including the mental pain. That was replaced by a fuzzy joy, which Michael both knew and was unfamiliar with. It was nice. 

The Voice made him lighter, and stronger, and then he felt himself move. It was not by his own volition- Michael was still too tired to even consider motion. 

The arms that carried him were strong and again, familiar. 

'Father?' he managed to weakly whisper, but the Voice filled him with more light and he felt himself drift further away from it. Sleep was so tempting. He couldn't help himself. 

When he awoke again, the Voice was still there. There was another being too. 

Michael could sense a vague light omitting from it, though the overwhelming sense he got was darkness. Corruption. Evil. He tried to curl away further into the Voice's arms, but he couldn't find the strength to do so. 

'Gabriel.' the Voice decreed. Gabriel? Where had he heard that name before? His brother was called Gabriel.... The one who? Oh. 'You will live out the punishment you so desired for your brother. You will take Michael's place, here.'

Michael could make out the distorted sound of yelling, begging, pleading. It faded into the background as the golden call of slumber pulled him in again.

He lay back in the iron hold of the Voice, and let himself be carried up

up

up.


	16. It's over now

As the remaining tendrils of consciousness slipped away, Lucifer hung loosely in Cain's grip. The immortal was grinning at him, delighting in his ability to affect the devil and the powerlessness his victim felt. 

But Chloe watched as his wicked laughter was cut short by a strangled gasp and he finally wrenched his gaze to his side, where the dagger jutted out menacingly. Almost in a daze, he gripped the handle and pulled it out, grunting in pain when the blade slid out, slick with blood. 

A pang of pain caused him to grip his side, then he used his other hand to clutch the wall for support. Lucifer, now unaided, dropped, knees coming up to meet his chest and crumpling against the wall. Crimson blood smeared the paintwork. Fingernails scraped against the surface. 

Cain gracelessly buckled and planted his hands on the floor, swaying slightly. He laughed again, but it was weak and ironic, choked. 

'You got me' he spluttered, teeth stained with the life source now seeping out of him and collecting in puddles on the floor. He chuckled, breath rattling, and came to lay with his hand outstretched on the cold wood. 

Chloe shook herself from her stupor and rushed to her partner's side first and foremost, checking that he wasn't too badly injured. His head was tipped forward and he was sat in an uncomfortable position. Aside from being knocked out, though, he seemed fine, and his pulse thumped a steady rhythm against her fingers when she splayed them against his neck. 

After her assessment, she saw to Cain, who was now rasping wetly on the ground. As she approached, his outstretched arm reached towards her, as if to touch her would revive him. 

She kicked his hand away and it came to rest limply on the planks beside him. 

'Get away from me' she hissed. 'I'm calling for backup, but don't expect to survive this. Lucifer got you good.'

The man on the floor gasped desperately, hungry for oxygen that would no longer enter his dying lungs. The detective pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Dan's number first, explaining the situation to him and hoping he could cover for her and Lucifer.

'Yeah, I'll just say that Pierce wasn't responding to calls so you went over to check on him and an altercation ensued. Don't worry about it.'

'Thank you' she breathed gratefully, sighing. 'I'm so sorry about all this, Dan.'

'Its fine' the voice crackled over the tinny speaker. 'I didn't much like the guy anyway.'

She ended the call and glanced down at Cain whilst she waited for the police and ambulance to arrive. His breath whistled now with every gasp, and eventually the gulps stopped altogether. His muscles were rigid, and Cain was dead. 

***********************  
They were riding in Chloe's cruiser in near silence back to her apartment. Lucifer had come round relatively quickly, to the detective's relief, so they'd decided to leave the crews to it and get back home for some much needed rest. 

The past few days had been hell, and it had felt as though they hadn't stopped properly since her partner's return to actually take everything in. She was only human, and she needed time to get to grips with everything, a luxury that had been taken away from her in their pursual of Cain. 

Looking over at Lucifer, she knew she couldn't wait for them to get back home and for life to start again. Something was still bothering him, though. 

She saw it in the way he stared distantly out the car window, and only talked to her once she initiated conversation. His chatty demeanour had faded after his first few days back on earth, and she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. 

Perhaps it was some celestial business she couldn't understand. Most likely. 

Whatever the issue, she'd help him through it. 

'I can't wait to get home and just chill out tonight' she confessed, placing a hand on his knee.

He turned his head to face her and smiled weakly. 'Of course, Detective. That sounds lovely.'

And there it was again- 'Detective'. Like he didn't even know her. 

'Are you okay, Lucifer?'

He hummed affirmatively as a response, but faced the window again, like he was hiding himself from her.

'Will you not talk to me about it?' she asked softly. 

No response.

'Would you prefer to talk to someone else? Linda? Your brother?'

He tensed.

'Lucifer?'

He was rigid and unexplanatory. 

'Is this something to do with your brother?'

He turned even further away from her, then mumbled something indistinct.

'Lucifer?'

'He saved me.' 

She was confused. 'Amenadiel? Your brother?'

'Not Amenadiel. Michael.'

Pausing for a moment, he fumbled with his fingers.  
'I thought he was an arse for so long. But he wasn't. He saved me from Hell.'

Chloe had never thought to ask about how he actually managed to escape Hell, expecting some nonsense response that wouldn't make sense to her human brain. And Lucifer hadn't mentioned it, so she had thought that it wasn't important. Instead, it was the opposite. 

'How?' she inquired.

'Sacrificed himself. Took my place. We're twins, see.'

Oh. 

'I'm so sorry, Lucifer.'

'Don't be. It's not your fault, Chloe. It's His.' He gestured wildly at the ceiling of the cruiser and crosses his arms. 'Its always Him. Bloody manipulative bastard.'

There was silence for a few heartbeats. Then,

'He doesn't deserve this.' 

She looked over at him, and was surprised to see his eyes were wet and sad. He brought a hand to his face and brushed away the remnants of his sadness angrily, letting out a wry laugh. 

'It's okay ' she soothed. 'To be upset. You don't have to hide it from me.'

He faced her, and smiled kindly through his unrelenting tears. 'What did I ever do to deserve you?'

She took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly.   
'We'll get through this. Together.'

He nodded and rubbed his thumb over hers. 'That we will, my darling. That we will.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for not updating in a while, been super busy. Hope you're all doing fab!


	17. Reunited

It had been a week since Cain's death when Michael finally clawed his way back to earth, shirt ripped and still bruised from Hell. 

The beach where Lucifer had first emerged onto the shores of LA was now spitting out its latest celestial. Gentle waves lapped at his toes as he slowly stood up, surveying his moonlit surroundings as a pattering rain soaked into the fabric of his clothes. 

All in all, he didn't look too worse for wear. He'd need some new clothes, obviously, and the sand of the beach stuck like a grit to his skin, but his Father had almost entirely healed him from the demons' torture. Now it was time to return to his kin.

The neon lights and booming music of Los Angeles were, ironically, too much for an angel like Michael. He knew little of this place, except that it was his brother's home, and he needed to find him.

So, following the ardent pull of their fraternal connection, he half-stumbled his way to the Decker apartment in the rain, hoping that Lucifer wouldn't consider it too much of an intrusion to turn up uninvited. 

Would his brother even want him there?

His sacrifice had only been short-lived compared to what Lucifer had suffered in Hell after Michael assisted in casting him down. Any hard feelings remaining would be entirely valid. 

Nonetheless, he trudged over miles until he got to the door of her flat, ignoring the many odd looks he received along the way. He supposed it wasn't every day that some scantily-dressed and beaten man limped through the streets among the rich and famous. 

Tentatively, he raised his fist and knocked at the wood. If Lucifer wanted him gone, he would go, but it was at least worth trying a reunion. 

'I'll get it' he could hear his brother call from within, then the door swung open to reveal one smartly-dressed devil. 

As soon as his eyes registered Michael, the customary smile was gone and for a moment, the two brothers just stared at each other. 

Oh no. Perhaps he had been mistaken in thinking that Lucifer would like to see him? 

He should go.

Before he could, though, the celestial in the suit on the other side of the door spoke.  
'Brother?'

The word was hushed and almost... croaked? 

And, was it a trick of the light or was his brother starting to... cry?

There was no time to think upon this, because in a second Michael was wrapped within the arms of his fallen twin. Lucifer gripped him tightly, as if afraid that he would disappear if not tethered properly to him.

They stood in an embrace for a long-needed moment before Lucifer stepped back, cheeks wet with tears.

'How did you-'

'Father helped me escape...'

His brother stiffened at the mention of God, so Michael continued. 'I think His plan all along was for us to find each other again.'

Instead of the infuriated rant Michael had been expecting, Lucifer only nodded curtly, understanding. He wiped his face hurriedly, suddenly realising that he had been weeping and finding it most uncharacteristic, and then cleared his throat.

'Please... Come in. You must meet Chloe.'

*******************  
The detective sat across from Michael, smiling lightly. Next to her was Lucifer, his hand entwined in hers. 

'So... You must be Michael.' Chloe greeted. 'I've heard so much about you. You... saved him from Hell?'

Michael nodded sheepishly. 'I deserved the punishment far more than he did. After all, I... Was the one who cast him down.' 

Lucifer affixed him with a pointed look, head tilted.   
'As much as I believe in a good old-fashioned punishment, you didn't deserve that at all. You've more than made up for your past actions, Mikey.'

Michael eyed him suspiciously. 'Really?'

'Yes. You know I don't lie.'

The seriousness of his gaze was convincing. His brother was actually forgiving him. Bashful and eager to change the subject, Michael held out a hand to Chloe.

'It's nice to meet you, as well, Detective. I'm glad that my brother has been able to find happiness with you.'

Chloe blushed lightly and squeezed Lucifer's hand a little tighter. 'I'm glad I found him. I mean, this whole celestial business has been quite crazy at times, to say the least, but being with Lucifer has made it all bearable.'

Michael couldn't help but smile at that. Never in a million years had he imagined the supreme happiness that a single human could bring to his brother, though maybe he should have seen it coming from the start. Lucifer had always had a fascination with humans that surpassed the usual intrigue of angels. 

It was the next development that shocked him the most. 

'Trix!' Chloe called. 'Come meet Lucifer's brother!'

A little girl, bright-eyed and bouncy, practically ran from her room to the lounge where they were sat. Upon seeing that Lucifer and Michael were twins, the girl giggled, then skipped up to the newest celestial and hugged him.

Lucifer chuckled. 'Sorry about that, Mikey, she's quite touchy-feely when it comes to showing affection. Maybe let him go for now, Beatrice.'

The little girl obeyed, pulling away from Michael and bounding over to his brother instead. To the archangel's shock, Lucifer didn't object whatsoever when she launched herself at him instead. In fact, he let her settle on his lap!

'Well I never...' Michael began, beaming from ear to ear. 'I never thought I'd see the day when the King of Hell accepted the embrace of a child.'

Lucifer laughed and the girl burrowed further into the crook of his arm. 'I've changed, brother. It turns out some humans are far more special than the rest.' He directed this line to the detective beside him, who leaned in to kiss him on the cheek.

Quite the pair they made, with their tiny little human between them. 

He looked briefly up to the ceiling, still smiling, and prayed silently.  
'See, Father? It all worked out in the end.'

As if in answer, a peal of thunder rumbled across the sky, a booming laugh of contentment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Oops, no update in a while but here ya are!   
> We're coming closer to the end of this story now, and thank you guys so much for sticking with it.
> 
> I hope you're having a great weekend so far :)


	18. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: This is it, guys- the last chapter. An epilogue of sorts. 
> 
> As sad as I am to see this one end, it leaves me available to focus on my other works even more. 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed the twisting journey of this fic, and I also hope you decide to check out some of my other works. Right now, I have a couple of other series as WIPs (Fading Light and Ode to Oriel). 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Sincerely, Maisie :)

For once, it felt like everything was finally going their way. 

Lucifer had been resurrected, Gabriel had got his comeuppance, and Michael had been brought back from Hell to be reunited with his twin. 

All in all, things really couldn't have been too much better. 

Lucifer still had nightmares of his time in Hell every once in a while, terrors that left him in cold sweats whenever he woke up, whimpering and desperate to feel Chloe beside him. Luckily for him, though, she was always there to help him through it with light ministrations and soothing words. 

He couldn't live without her. 

Michael had decided to spend a little more time after his reunion enjoying the delights of the earthly plane, finding that he had more in common with his brother than first assumed- for one, their taste in alcohol. Of all the reasons to stay on Earth, whiskey was a supreme contributor. 

Gabriel experienced the wrath of his Father in Hell for his heinous crimes, sentenced forevermore to the punishment he had tried to inflict on his own kin. The demons were still angry that they'd been stripped of the opportunity to torture their previous leader, but that only fueled their desire to enact pain on the angel in his place. 

Since Trixie had helped Lucifer come to the realisation about his escape from Hell, she had become closer to him even more so than before. Sometimes, he was the one to initiate affectionate greetings, a fact that warmed Chloe's heart tenfold. 

The most wonderful thing of all, though, was the appearance of God one day. 

Nobody had expected the Divine Creator to arrive, and especially not for Him to knock on Chloe's door and wait outside as if he hadn't been the one to create her and everything around them. And, however much Chloe had been hoping for a friendly interaction between her partner and his Father, she hadn't actually expected a warm reunion. 

Which is why it surprised her when all it took for Lucifer to embrace his Father tightly were the words 'I'm sorry, son'. 

It turned out grudges were easier to remove than Lucifer would ever have let on in a celestial household. 

Seeing the Father of all creation and her partner chatting rather amicably in her lounge was a strange sight indeed for the Detective, but she was so glad to see it. 

Especially because of what it symbolised.

Lucifer had been terrified for Chloe's safety for far too long, and now that could be rectified, if only slightly. 

Because now, if the worst was to happen to her, her adorable Civilian Consultant/Angel could enter the gates of Heaven alongside her. 

His ostracism was over at last. 

Of course, his boisterously sinful personality would never change, and, surprisingly, God accepted it. In fact, he laughed as his son told crude jokes and drained glasses of alcohol in seconds. Apparently, the Bible had got it wrong in some ways- God didn't mind the lesser sins, because that's what made His children special. 

That's what made them human. 

Because, really, Lucifer was more human than even he realised. No angel had felt things that he had. 

No angel had cared for a group of humans like he had. 

No angel had fallen in love like he had. 

And Chloe Decker knew how much Lucifer loved her, now. Times would always be complicated for them, but her partner's determination for them to be together was something that never faded. 

The passing of the years may leave a path of total change in their wake, though one thing would remain the same. 

Whenever she asked him how much he loved her, he'd always reply with the same phrase. 

'To Hell and Back.'


	19. SURPRISE!

happy friday, everyboDy!

so, as a spEcial friday gift, i have a little surprise for you all. 

i know i said this fiC was over and done, with no sequel in the works, however...

you never Know what ideas comE to you at random.

i am writing a third and final installment to this seRies, more light-hearted than the firSt two because i Think you'll Agree we need more positivity Right now :)

i hope you're all Well, and coping okay during thEse tough times. hopefully, this will be at least something to look forwarD to :)

let me know what you think in the comments, anD i can't wait for you to see all that I have planNed for a brand new piece of writinG.

thank you for reading!

-maisie


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